French ex-president Sarkozy stripped of Legion of Honor medal over corruption scandal
PARIS — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been deprived of his prestigious Legion of Honor medal following his conviction last year for corruption and influence peddling during his time as the nation’s leader, as announced on Sunday.
The decision was communicated through a decree published in the Journal Officiel, which is the official journal for legal matters in the government. This action aligns with the regulations governing the Legion of Honor.
The conservative figure, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, has been embroiled in a series of legal disputes since leaving office.
He was convicted of corruption and influence peddling by a Paris court in 2021 and by an appeals court in 2023 for attempting to bribe a judge in exchange for confidential information related to a legal case in which he was implicated.
He was sentenced to wear an electronic monitoring device for a year, a ruling upheld by France’s highest judicial body, the Court of Cassation, in December.
Earlier this year, Sarkozy faced trial over allegations of receiving millions of dollars from Libya to fund his successful presidential campaign in 2007. He refutes these allegations. Prosecutors have sought a seven-year prison sentence. A verdict is anticipated in September.
Sarkozy now joins the ranks of former heads of state who have been stripped of the Legion of Honor — France’s highest accolade — alongside Nazi collaborator Philippe Petain, who was convicted in 1945 for treason and collaboration with the enemy during his leadership of Vichy France from 1940-1944.
Renowned Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein had his Legion of Honor accolade revoked following widespread allegations of sexual misconduct against him in 2017. Disgraced cyclist and former Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong also had his French Legion of Honor distinction rescinded.
Sarkozy withdrew from public life in 2017 but continues to exert influence in French conservative politics.
