A month after leaving La Santé prison, the former president went to a bookstore in the 16th arrondissement on Wednesday for a signing session for his “Diary of a Prisoner”.
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Published on 10/12/2025 7:06 p.m. Updated on 10/12/2025 7:20 p.m.
Reading time: 7min
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Nicolas Sarkozy greets supporters in front of a Parisian bookstore for the release of his “Diary of a Prisoner”, December 10, 2025. (BERTRAND GUAY / AFP)
“I think we’re going to leave again… There’s a queue, it’s crazy!” Barely arriving by car from Levallois-Perret (Hauts-de-Seine), Brigitte and Dory laugh at the queue which continues to extend from the Lamartine bookstore, in the plush 16th arrondissement of Paris, Wednesday December 10, a little before 3 p.m. Like these two retirees, many supporters of Nicolas Sarkozy made the trip for the first signing session of his Diary of a prisonerpublished exactly one month after his release. The former president recounts his 21 days spent in La Santé prison, after his conviction in the affair of the Libyan financing of his victorious presidential campaign in 2007.
A “injustice” denounced throughout the 213 pages of the work by the former right-wing strongman, who will be judged on appeal from March 16 to June 3. Nicolas Sarkozy recounts his daily life in prison and distributes good and bad points to political and media figures based on their support. It is also said “affected by the violence of certain remarks to [son] place” on behalf of the families of victims of the DC-10 attack, which made some of them react strongly.
This afternoon, many of them are patiently waiting for their turn in front of the bookstore, whose entrance is barely visible, hidden by all the cameras and the sound recordists’ booms. Gray heads, but also younger ones, like Bruno, a 15-year-old high school student and resident of the neighborhood, who came to have the work signed to offer it to his father. Louis, also 15 years old, insisted on making the trip from Lagny-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne), an hour away. “It’s not every day that a former president finds himself in prison”underlines the high school student, who had the opportunity to see Nicolas Sarkozy last year during a commemorative ceremony. “He was the only politician who took the time to come and talk to us”remembers the teenager, impatient to vote in three years.
His father Joachim agreed to accompany him, even if he does not necessarily share the same ideas. “When I defend offenders, they have provisional execution, and no one is shocked”said this lawyer, about the system which led to the incarceration of the former president before a final conviction. “We will see what happens on appeal, but I am rather proud of this court decision,” he continues.
In the queue, few of them share this point of view, and many have come to tell their champion. “It’s completely absurd to have put him in prison, you don’t put a former president in prison”breathes Nathalie. This caregiver drove from Châteaudun (Eure-et-Loir) to join her son, Erwan, a student in the Paris region, at the bookstore. “I can’t wait to read it.”says this twenty-year-old who has already read the former president’s memoirs. “When he was elected, I was 2 years old, but I like reading him, for the inspiring journey he tells. He was a statesman, the last great head of state we had.”
Suddenly, the static line comes to life: Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived and enjoys a little walkabout, after being welcomed in particular by Benjamin Haddad, the Minister Delegate in charge of Europe and elected representative of the district. A few manage to shake his hand, behind a forest of cameras and riot police, who try as best they can to coordinate the movement of cars and those of onlookers and journalists. “Nicholas, Nicholas, Nicholas”chant the sympathizers, smartphones held up to immortalize the scene. Their enthusiasm wanes when two feminist activists burst in, shirtless, shouting “casse-toi, pauv’ with” et “your place is in prison”. The two women were quickly taken away by the police, to the jeers of Nicolas Sarkozy’s supporters.
The cries subside and the waiting resumes. In line, customers begin to leaf through their books to wait. Written in three weeks, the work also seems to please the pen of the former head of state. “I’m not saying he would win the Nobel Prize in literature, but it’s pleasant to read, we have his phrasing, we have the impression of hearing him”says Quentin, in his thirties, French teacher in Herblay-sur-Seine (Val-d’Oise). From a political point of view, the young man is more bothered by the passage in which Nicolas Sarkozy outlines a rapprochement of the right, in particular with the National Rally. “That he is sensitive to the elegance of Marine Le Pen, who supported him, rather than to the lack of courage of Bruno Retailleau, humanly, I can understand. But politically, I will not vote for Bardella”he said.
The subject divides readers. “We only want one thing, and that is for the rights to unite!”says Brigitte, who came with a friend. Both are retired and members of Les Républicains. “We hope that Nicolas Sarkozy will be able to convince other people in his party to form this union”she continues, not losing an inch in the slowly moving queue.
In the bookstore, things happen: customers were given post-its to write their first name on the cover and speed up the signings. At the exit, Jean-Marc, two copies under his arm, has a smile. “I took one for myself, and one to give to an anti-Sarko, even though he told me he was going to make a fireplace with it.” “It was important to come, I told him that he had to hold on, and he thanked me. I find him worthy and impressive”he continues before heading towards the metro, in a hurry. “I’ve been here since 1 p.m.!”
More than 1,500 copies were sold by the Lamartine bookstore by the end of the afternoon. “The timing is pretty good”laughs Joachim. The work, conveniently published by Éditions Fayard before Christmas, will be slipped under the tree by certain sympathizers. “I’m going to give it to my fleas”rejoices a grandmother. The promotion promises to be intense and political. After spending three weeks in 12 square meters, the former mayor of Neuilly is preparing to go on tour throughout France: he will be in Marseille on Thursday, then on Friday in Cannes and Menton, where his son Louis aims to win the town hall.