France revokes Sarkozy's Legion of Honor over corruption conviction

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
15 Jun 2025 17:35

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of the Legion of Honour after his corruption conviction was upheld, marking a historic fall from grace as he faces ongoing legal battles.

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In this Monday Nov. 11, 2019, file photo, French former president Nicolas Sarkozy attends a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. (Ludovic Marin/Pool via AP, file)

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has officially been removed from the National Order of the Legion of Honour, France's most prestigious civilian decoration, following a definitive corruption conviction upheld by the nation's highest court in 2023. The revocation was confirmed in a decree published Sunday.

Sarkozy, who held office from 2007 to 2012, was found guilty in 2021 of attempting to bribe a magistrate in exchange for insider information related to a separate inquiry into his 2007 campaign finances. That verdict was upheld in December, with France's top court ordering Sarkozy to serve a sentence under electronic surveillance for one year. The electronic tag was removed earlier this month.

While the former president has launched an appeal at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the revocation of the award proceeded in line with regulations that automatically exclude recipients who are handed a prison sentence of a year or more. "An eventual ECHR ruling against France would imply reviewing the criminal conviction against [Sarkozy], as well as his exclusion from the order of the Legion of Honour," his lawyer, Patrice Spinosi, stated Sunday.

President Emmanuel Macron reportedly opposed the removal but was bound by the rules governing the award. He noted that Sarkozy had once held the nation's highest office and that "it was very important that former presidents are respected."

Sarkozy's legal challenges extend beyond the current conviction. He has already been sentenced in a separate case for overspending in his 2012 campaign and is currently facing trial over accusations that he received illegal funds from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 campaign. The verdict in that case is expected in September, with prosecutors calling for a seven-year prison term. Sarkozy has denied the allegations.

The former president now joins a short list of high-profile individuals stripped of the Legion of Honour, including Lance Armstrong and Harvey Weinstein. The only other French president to lose the distinction was Philippe Pétain, who led the Vichy regime during World War II and was convicted of high treason in 1945.