France stripped Nicolas Sarkozy of his Legion of Honor award after he received a final prison sentence for corruption. The former president lost the country's highest decoration following his conviction in a wiretapping scandal. Officials published the removal order on Sunday after courts sentenced Sarkozy to three years behind bars with one year to serve. He becomes only the second French head of state to lose this honor after Marshal Petain during World War Two. The automatic removal follows legal rules that take away decorations from anyone sentenced to prison for one year or more.
President Emmanuel Macron had refused to remove the honor from his predecessor earlier this year. Several French citizens sued the government to force the removal after Macron said former presidents deserve respect. The administrative court heard their case in May before the final decision came through. Sarkozy's lawyer said the European Court of Human Rights still must rule on an appeal. Government officials called the removal an automatic decision that follows the Legion of Honor code.
Opposition politicians welcomed the decision as equal treatment under law. Conservative party members defended Sarkozy and criticized the comparison to Petain as unfair. The former president faces other legal cases and appeared in court early this year over alleged Libyan campaign financing. Courts will deliver judgment on that case at the end of September.
President Emmanuel Macron had refused to remove the honor from his predecessor earlier this year. Several French citizens sued the government to force the removal after Macron said former presidents deserve respect. The administrative court heard their case in May before the final decision came through. Sarkozy's lawyer said the European Court of Human Rights still must rule on an appeal. Government officials called the removal an automatic decision that follows the Legion of Honor code.
Opposition politicians welcomed the decision as equal treatment under law. Conservative party members defended Sarkozy and criticized the comparison to Petain as unfair. The former president faces other legal cases and appeared in court early this year over alleged Libyan campaign financing. Courts will deliver judgment on that case at the end of September.
