That’s the thing: laws that only in practice apply to the riff-raff can stop things like the copper demanding a bribe for not to fining somebody for speeding or the hygene inspector wanting something-something not to close down a restaurant - i.e. the kind of everyday widespread corruption that everybody sooner or later comes in contact with in some countries in Africa and South America - but does nothing to stop the really big, broadest impact corruption that affects the whole country sometimes holding it back or even dragging it down for generations, like putting certain clauses in Environmental legislation to allow highly destructive activities by certain companies, making sure certain markets are monopolies or tight cartels, selling state assets (such as during privatisations) at “friendly prices” to the “right people”, or making sure multimillionaire or even billionaire military procurement contracts go to certain companies.

This shit is often far too subtle for most people to spot it or fully understand its impact but can have big effects in the lives of just about everybody in a country and then people for example just go around feeling that their money doesn’t seem to go as far as before not putting two and two together to figure out they’re dieing the death of a thousand cuts as monopolies and cartels which should never have existed without corrupt legislation bleed them out, are dying younger because of avoidable air polution or exploitative private healthcare systems all possible thanks to legislation designed together by crooked politicians and lobbyists, feel their quality of life is much less than before as most public spaces have been made sold to private interest, and so on.

What’s happening in France (and has been happening for a while - both Sarkozy and the guy before him ended up convicted for their crimes) is actually a very good thing and needs to carry on happening, with as you say equal treatment for all and no velvet glove treatment for “VIP” types.