France’s highest state award taken away from Sarkozy
(MENAFN) Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of France’s highest award, the Legion of Honor, following his conviction for corruption and influence peddling.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, was convicted in 2021 for attempting to bribe a judge in exchange for information related to an inquiry into his 2007 election campaign. His sentence — a total of three years in prison, with two suspended — was upheld by France’s highest court in late 2024.
Established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the Legion of Honor is France’s most distinguished award and is meant to celebrate outstanding service to the nation. However, the award’s regulations require recipients to be removed if they are convicted and sentenced to a year or more in prison.
Sarkozy is the second French leader to lose this award; the first was Marshal Philippe Petain, who led the Vichy Regime during World War II and was convicted of high treason in 1945.
The decision to revoke Sarkozy’s award came despite reports that President Emmanuel Macron was reluctant to withdraw it, stating in April that the former president “deserves respect” for his service to France.
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