Former French president Sarkozy stripped of Legion of Honour medal

Former French president Sarkozy stripped of Legion of Honour medal

Paris, June 15, 2025 — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of the Legion of Honour, France's highest distinction, following his conviction on corruption and influence peddling charges. The decision, published in Sunday's Official Bulletin, is a significant development in Sarkozy's ongoing legal battles.

Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted last year by France's highest court for corruption and influence peddling, and ordered to wear an electronic tag for a year. This conviction was upheld by an appeals court, which also confirmed a separate conviction for illegal campaign financing in his failed re-election bid in 2012 [1].

The rules of the Legion of Honour award dictate that recipients automatically lose the award if they are convicted of a crime or receive a prison sentence of at least one year. Given Sarkozy's convictions, the revocation was expected [2].

Sarkozy is currently appealing his convictions at the European Court of Human Rights and is also on trial for charges of accepting illegal campaign financing in an alleged pact with late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. A verdict in this latter case is expected in September [2].

Despite his legal troubles, Sarkozy remains politically active in right-wing politics in France and is known to hold regular meetings with current President Emmanuel Macron. During his presidency, Sarkozy worked closely with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, earning the pair the nickname "Merkozy."

References:
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/former-french-president-sarkozy-stripped-legion-honour-medal-2025-06-15/
[2] https://www.dw.com/en/former-french-president-sarkozy-stripped-of-national-honor/a-72914715