Overview

• On June 15, Lecointre formally excluded Sarkozy from both the Légion d’Honneur and the National Order of Merit after his one-year prison sentence for corruption became final.
• He said the decision stemmed solely from the honor code and his duties of office, rejecting any political calculation.
• Lecointre asserted that he found no legal basis to grant Sarkozy immunity as a former grand master of the order.
• He clarified that January reforms had no impact on exclusion criteria or the Grand Master’s decision-making powers.
• Sarkozy’s removal, the first for a former president since 1945, has prompted criticism from right-wing figures.