Sarkozy released his book “The Diary of a Prisoner”, in which he describes his 20 days in prison

Out in less than three weeks, Nicolas Sarkozy's new book, Diary of a Prisoner, provides colorful details of what it's like for a former president to be in prison.

We learn that prisoner number 320535 had a cell of 12 square meters, equipped with a bed, a desk, a refrigerator, a shower and a television. There was a window, but the view was blocked by a massive plastic panel placed outside.

“It was clean and bright enough,” writes Sarkozy. “You'd almost think you were in a luxury hotel – if it weren't for the armored door with a hole through which the guards could look at you.”

Sarkozy, 70, was released from La Santé prison in Paris last month after serving 20 days of a five-year sentence for allowing subordinates to try to collect election funds from Libyan Colonel Gaddafi 20 years ago.

Told that he would have to spend 23 hours out of 24 in his cell – and that contact with anyone other than a prison employee was forbidden – the former president chose not to opt for a daily walk in the yard, “more like a cage than a place of promenade”.

Instead, he did his daily exercises on a treadmill in the small gym, which “had become – in my situation – a real oasis”.

There are many details in the book: how he was kept awake the first night by a neighbor singing a song from the movie “Lion King” and rattling his spoon on the bars.

How he was “moved by the kindness, delicacy and respect of the prison staff … each of whom addressed me as Mr. President.”

Or how he managed to cover the walls of his cell with postcards from all the people who wrote to express their support.

“Moving and honest, it testified to a deep personal connection, even though I had left office so long ago,” he writes.

The details fascinate. Perhaps more important are the reflections on fate, justice and politics.

At the end of the trial in October, the judge – who could have allowed Sarkozy to remain free pending an appeal – ruled instead that he should go to prison. Three weeks after his incarceration, he was allowed out following a plea from his lawyers.

The former president strongly denies the allegations against him and claims he is the victim of a politically motivated cabal within the French judicial system.

All this is repeated in the book, in which Sarkozy compares himself to the most famous victim of French justice, Alfred Dreyfus – the Jewish officer who was sent to Devil's Island on a trumped-up charge of espionage.

“To any impartial observer who knows their history, the similarities are striking,” he writes.

“The Dreyfus affair started with fake documents. So did mine…Dreyfus was humiliated in front of the troops when they took away his decorations. I had my Legion of Honor taken from me in front of the whole nation.”

“And Dreyfus was imprisoned at the Santé—a place I now know well,” he writes. He does not miss the opportunity to rub shoulders with the current president of France, Emmanuel Macron.

Sarkozy's problem is that Macron never had the “courage” to call him personally to explain why his decorations were being withdrawn. “If he had called, I would have understood his arguments and accepted the decision,” he writes. “The fact that he did not demonstrate that his motives were at the very least disingenuous.”

But Sarkozy's relations with another political leader – Marine Le Pen – attracted the most attention in France. This is due to the unusual affection the former president shows for his former rival.

“I appreciated the public statements he made after my conviction, which were brave and completely unambiguous,” he writes.

Sarkozy phoned to thank him and says they had a friendly conversation, adding: “Many voters [ai RN] today they supported me when I was politically active… To insult the RN leaders is to insult their voters, that is, people who are potentially our voters.”

“I have many differences with the RN leaders … But to exclude from the ranks of the republicans would be a mistake.”