The French government has begun the formal process of stripping the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, of his Légion d’honneur, as the French president, Emmanuel Macron, seeks to reform the country’s most prestigious but sometimes controversial award. Macron’s bid to look strong on Syria could weaken him in France | Pauline Bock Read moreThe decision to withdraw the honour can only be made by a French president, as the top-ranking member of the National Order of the Légion d’honneur. Assad was decorated with the great cross, the highest of the distinction’s five grades, after he took office in 2001. The president’s spokesman, Christophe Castaner, had previously confirmed that no more than 2,000 distinctions would be awarded annually. But there is no official target for reducing the number of so-called “diplomatic” Légions d’honneur, often given to foreign dignitaries during state visits.

Source: The Guardian April 17, 2018 12:56 UTC