France's Socialist government today rejected claims it was using the justice system for political ends after ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy accused his enemies of being behind corruption charges.
Charged with three corruption-related counts yesterday, the right-winger angrily hit back in a televised interview, denying he broke the law and denouncing "political interference" in the case.
Sarkozy insisted his political career was not over, but an opinion poll released today showed nearly two-thirds of French voters against a comeback by the conservative who ran France from 2007 to 2012.
"The judiciary is independent, there is no longer any intervention," government spokesman Stephane Le Foll told Europe 1 radio.
"Some people have a hard time believing this, for reasons I don't want to comment on," Le Foll said, in a reference to left-wing allegations that Sarkozy's government unduly influenced the justice system.
By accusing the judiciary of bias, including singling out one judge in the case, Sarkozy "is trying to divert public attention to politics, conspiracies or who knows what," Socialist Party leader Jean-Christophe Cambadelis said.
Some have compared Sarkozy's attack on the judiciary with former Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi's tirades against judges he accuses of being behind his many legal woes.
Pierre Musso, a university professor and author of "Le Sarkoberlusconisme", said Sarkozy appeared to be taking a page from Berlusconi's playbook in reacting to the charges.
"It's talk show democracy... Victimisation," he told AFP. "The powerful man presents himself not only as a victim but as weakened, it's an appeal to compassion."
Sarkozy, 59, was yesterday hit with charges including corruption and influence peddling after he was quizzed for 15 hours by judges investigating an alleged attempt to interfere in judicial proceedings in another case.
Sarkozy's longtime lawyer Thierry Herzog and senior magistrate Gilbert Azibert were also charged.
After being charged, Sarkozy was allowed to return to the Paris home he shares with his ex-supermodel wife Carla Bruni and their young daughter, but he can be recalled for questioning at any time.
The charges against Sarkozy carry a theoretical maximum prison term of 10 years. They were a huge setback to Sarkozy's hopes of a comeback after his defeat by Francois Hollande in the 2012 presidential vote.
