Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of his Legion of Honour medal. This follows his conviction last year for corruption and influence peddling during his time as head of state.
The removal of the honor was formalized through a decree published in the Journal Officiel, the official gazette for French government legal information.
This action aligns with the regulations governing the Legion of Honour.
The conservative politician, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, has been involved in several legal cases since leaving office.
He was found guilty of corruption and influence peddling by a Paris court in 2021 and by an appeals court in 2023. These convictions stemmed from his attempt to bribe a magistrate in exchange for information related to a legal case in which he was implicated.
Sarkozy was sentenced to one year of electronic monitoring, a decision upheld by France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, in December.
Earlier this year, Sarkozy faced trial regarding allegations that he received millions of dollars from Libya to fund his successful 2007 presidential campaign.
He denies these allegations.
Prosecutors have requested a seven-year prison sentence in this case.
The verdict is expected in September.
Sarkozy is only the second former head of state to have the Legion of Honour – France’s highest distinction – revoked. The first was Nazi collaborator Philippe Petain, who was convicted of treason in 1945 for his leadership role in Vichy France from 1940 to 1944.
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was also stripped of his Legion of Honour award following widespread allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017.
Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, a former Tour de France champion, similarly had his French Legion of Honour award revoked.
Sarkozy retired from public life in 2017 but remains an influential figure in French conservative politics.
