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Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy may be facing growing legal troubles, but his appeal as an author remains strong, with his latest book chronicling his brief time in prison selling nearly 100,000 copies in under a week, according to his publisher.
The 70-year-old has transformed his three-week spell behind bars in October and November into a 216-page memoir titled Diary of a Prisoner (Le journal d’un prisonnier). Since its release, Sarkozy has embarked on a nationwide tour, drawing enthusiastic crowds keen to meet the former leader.
Publisher Fayard announced on social media platform X that the book had sold 98,610 copies within just a few days of hitting bookshop shelves, citing figures from market research firm NielsenIQ GfK. The publisher described the sales performance as exceptional, placing the memoir firmly at number one.
While the book details Sarkozy’s everyday frustrations in detention, including noise and poor-quality food, it has also attracted attention for its political undertones. In its pages, the former leader of the right-wing Republicans party recounts a conversation with far-right figure Marine Le Pen and appears to signal openness to cooperation between the traditional right and her anti-immigration movement.
Sarkozy writes that rebuilding the right requires the widest possible unity, arguing against exclusion and political taboos. The comments have fuelled debate about the future direction of France’s conservative politics.
In September, Sarkozy was found guilty of attempting to secure illegal campaign funding from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during his successful 2007 presidential bid. He was handed a five-year prison sentence but was released from Paris’s La Santé prison after just 20 days, following a judge’s decision to allow conditional release.
He has already been convicted in two other cases, one relating to illegal campaign financing and another involving corruption and influence-peddling. Sarkozy and his wife, singer and former model Carla Bruni, could also face a further trial over allegations they attempted to bribe a key prosecution witness in the Libya financing case with the help of a paparazzi boss; claims they both deny.
Since leaving office after a single term, Sarkozy has remained a powerful behind-the-scenes figure on the French right while establishing himself as a prolific author. His recent publications include The Age of Combat in 2023, The Age of Storms in 2020 and Passions in 2019.
