France's Sarkozy appeals conviction in illegal campaign financing case

PARIS (Reuters) - Former president Nicolas Sarkozy appeared in court on Tuesday to appeal a 2021 conviction for illegal campaign financing over his failed 2012 re-election bid.

Sarkozy, who remains an important figure in French politics although he no longer holds any elected post, faces a string of trials and investigations, in a stunning fall from grace.

The conservative former president, in office from 2007 to 2012, has always denied the accusations.

The appeals trial that opened on Wednesday, known as the "Bygmalion affair", centres on accusations that his party, then known as the UMP, worked with a public relations firm to hide the true cost of his re-election bid.

France sets strict limits on campaign spending. Prosecutors allege that the firm, Bygmalion, invoiced UMP rather than the campaign. They say Sarkozy spent 42.8 million euros on his 2012 campaign, almost double the permitted amount.

(Reportingby Elizabeth Pineau; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Christina Fincher)