Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost his Legion of Honor award.
French Ex-President Loses Prestigious Title
Nicolas Sarkozy, the one-time ruler of France, is no longer part of the Legion of Honour, the nation's most esteemed order. The Order of Merit has also been snatched away from his grasp. The news about his removal from the list of recipients surfaced on June 5, but it took a while for the cat to be officially let out of the bag - his name is no longer found among the honorees, according to Liter.kz.
The order was publicly displayed on the government's website.
The Grand Chancellor of the National Order of the Legion of Honour issued a formal statement, declaring Nicolas Sarkozy's automatic removal from the National Order of the Legion of Honour.
In accordance with French law, a civil servant, even one at such a high level, must renounce their honours if they receive a sentence of at least one year. This unusual event seldom occurs in France. Before Sarkozy, it was last witnessed in 1945 when Marshal Pétain, a collaborator with Hitler, was robbed of his awards2.
Ironically, Sarkozy himself once led both orders automatically, as head of state. Now, his name has been scrubbed - yet again an automatic procedure.
At first, Emmanuel Macron, the current president, seemed to oppose this move. During the spring, he expressed his opinion that former presidents should be respected and that Sarkozy made significant contributions to the country, regardless of his past transgressions. Nevertheless, the law is the law. Ultimately, it was Macron who signed the orders stripping Sarkozy of his honours.
This incident has been dubbed a "dark chapter" in Sarkozy's biography within French political circles. He isn't just a former president, but a man wielding substantial influence. Reports suggest he even offered Macron private counsel2.
Sarkozy was found guilty of bribery and corruption and was sentenced to a year in prison. The case's origins date back to 20142.
He served his sentence under house arrest, with an electronic monitoring device.
Image: Gonzalo Fuentes/REUTER
- This incident, the removal of Nicolas Sarkozy from the Legion of Honour, highlights an intersection of war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice, as Sarkozy was convicted of corruption and bribery.
- The French government's policy-and-legislation concerning civil servants who receive prison sentences of a year or more necessitated Sarkozy's automatic removal from the National Order of the Legion of Honour, a prestigious title he once presided over.
- The general news about Sarkozy's removal from the list of recipients has stirred up discussions in French political circles, with some regarding it as a dark chapter in his biography, considering his significant influence and previous role as president.
