Nicolas Sarkozy has become only the second former French president to have his Legion of Honor award revoked, the first being the notorious Nazi collaborator Philippe Pétain, Euronews reports.
The former French leader has been stripped of his Legion of Honor medal after being found guilty last year of corruption and influence peddling during his time in office, it was announced on Sunday.
The decision was made public through a decree issued by the Official Journal of France, which publishes important legal information from the French government. The decision aligns with the rules of the Legion of Honor.
Sarkozy’s Legal Troubles and Historic Precedent
The conservative politician, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, has been at the center of a series of legal cases since leaving office. He was found guilty of corruption and influence peddling on two counts by a Paris court in 2021, and this was upheld on appeal in 2023, for attempting to corrupt a prosecutor in exchange for information related to a legal case he was involved in. He was sentenced to one year of electronic monitoring, a verdict that was also upheld by France’s highest court in December.
Earlier this year, Sarkozy also faced charges related to allegedly accepting millions of dollars from Libya for his successful 2007 presidential campaign. Prosecutors have sought a seven-year prison sentence. A verdict is expected in September.
Sarkozy is only the second former head of state to have the Legion of Honor – France’s highest distinction – revoked, following Philippe Pétain, the Nazi collaborator. Pétain was convicted of treason and collaboration with the enemy in 1945 for his actions as the leader of Vichy France from 1940 to 1944.
Other prominent figures who have had the Legion of Honor revoked include Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, following revelations of sexual assault allegations against him in 2017, and disgraced former Tour de France cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Sarkozy retired from public life in 2017 but continues to hold an influential role in French conservative politics.
