The dramatic decision to send former president Nicolas Sarkozy to prison for criminal conspiracy has laid bare France's stark political divisions, with the move cheered by the left but slammed by the ascendant right.

French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy's bombshell conviction in a Libyan funding probe has elicited starkly opposing reactions from left and right, exposing France's political divide. It has also heightened scutiny of a legal provision that ensures verdicts are implemented even as the appeals process plays out – a rule that currently bars far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running in the next presidential election.

Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France from 2007 to 2012, was found guilty on Thursday of plotting to finance his 2007 election bid with help from the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. Aurelien Breeden,

Here’s a look at the life of Nicolas Sarkozy, former president of France. Personal Birth date: January 28, 1955 Birth place: Paris, France Birth name: Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarkozy de Nagy-Bocsa Father: Pal Sarkozy de Nagy Bocsa Mother: Andrée (Mallah) Sarkozy de Nagy Bocsa Marriages: Carla Bruni (2008-present);