Trending 
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has officially been stripped of the Legion of Honour, France’s most prestigious award, following his conviction for corruption, according to a decree published on Sunday.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, has faced a series of legal battles since his exit from politics, most notably his conviction for attempting to illegally influence a judge. That conviction, upheld last year by an appeals court, saw the former president sentenced to one year under house arrest, enforced with an electronic ankle monitor.
The revocation of the Legion of Honor—a title bestowed upon Sarkozy by former president Jacques Chirac—had been anticipated due to the order’s rules which stipulate that members found guilty of serious crimes can be removed. Although current President Emmanuel Macron had reportedly voiced his opposition to stripping Sarkozy of the honour, the decree has now made it official.
This decision places Sarkozy alongside Philippe Pétain, the leader of France’s collaborationist Vichy regime during World War II, as the only two former heads of state to be stripped of the accolade. Pétain was convicted of treason in 1945.
Sarkozy, who had his electronic tag removed earlier this month, is currently appealing to the European Court of Human Rights in an effort to overturn the conviction.
Meanwhile, he faces further legal jeopardy in a separate trial over allegations that he accepted illicit campaign funds from Libya’s former ruler Muammar Gaddafi during his 2007 presidential campaign. Prosecutors in that case have requested a seven-year prison sentence, with a verdict due in September. Sarkozy continues to deny all wrongdoing.
Despite these legal troubles, the 69-year-old remains a powerful and well-connected figure on the French right, maintaining frequent contact with President Macron and continuing to exert influence behind the scenes.
