It's true that the case is as extensive as it is complex, but the trial of the alleged Libyan financing of Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 presidential campaign on Monday, January 13, was marked by a certain amount of confusion, despite and perhaps as a result of the presiding judge's efforts to break the case down into smaller chapters.

In this round of questioning, the aim was solely to present the professional situations of the 13 defendants and their relationships with each other. But Sarkozy was keen to pugnaciously spend a good three hours talking about his life, his accomplishments and his innocence. He willingly answered all the questions put to him by the court and the prosecutors, but the questioning did not advance the case by an inch.

Judge Nathalie Gavarino asked him about his political career, a subject the former president is understandably fond of, from his time as a municipal councilor in Neuilly-sur-Seine, one of the richest towns in the Paris area, to the Elysée Palace. "I had a dream of entering politics at the highest level," smiled Sarkozy. "I had a lot of luck, observers said I was a bit different from the others... Whereas my poor mother dreamed I'd stay mayor of Neuilly and be a lawyer in the building next door."

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