France has stripped former President Nicolas Sarkozy of the Legion of Honor, the highest award in the country, after his corruption conviction was upheld, according to an official decree released on Sunday. The decision represents a predictable step according to the rules governing the award, despite opposition from current President Emmanuel Macron.
Since leaving the Élysée Palace in 2012, Sarkozy has faced a series of legal battles, with France’s highest court affirming his corruption and influence peddling conviction last year, requiring him to wear an electronic bracelet for a year—an unprecedented measure for a former French president.
The same appeals court also upheld his conviction in a case involving illegal financing of his 2012 election campaign, which he lost to Socialist François Hollande.
Sarkozy becomes the second French president to be stripped of the award, following Philippe Pétain, the collaborator with the Nazis during World War II who was convicted of treason in 1945.
His conviction stems from what has been referred to in the media as the “wiretapping case,” in which he was found guilty of striking a corrupt deal in 2014 with a judge from the Court of Cassation in exchange for a promised honorary position in Monaco, in an effort to obtain confidential information regarding another investigation against him.
He was sentenced to three years in prison, with one year to be served actively, part of which he spent under surveillance with an electronic bracelet starting last February, before being released under conditions in mid-May due to his age.
Sarkozy is still engaged in legal battles before the European Court of Human Rights in an attempt to appeal the final judgment against him.
In parallel, the former president is appearing in court in a separate case concerning accusations of accepting illegal funding from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 election campaign, a claim he categorically denies. A ruling is expected in September, with prosecutors seeking a seven-year prison sentence.
Despite these legal troubles, Sarkozy retains influence within the French right and is known for his regular contacts with President Emmanuel Macron.
