Paris wants to take Assad's decoration

paris - The French president Emmanuel Macron wants to take his Syrian counterpart the high French award that Assad received from Jacques Chirac in 2001. Assad received the highest distinction, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, not only as head of state but also because Chirac thought Assad was going to reform.

The Elysée Palace, Macrons' headquarters, has confirmed that a procedure has been started for this, French media reported Tuesday. It is not the first time that Paris has reservations about heads of state or other prominent figures who, on closer inspection, do not really fit into 'a legion of honor'. For example, the notorious Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu (1918-1989) also got one.

The loss of the award is easier for French people and regulated by law. For example, the award will automatically be condemned to persons sentenced to a prison sentence of more than one year. This was complicated for foreigners, but in 2010 an arrangement was made to include foreigners in the award.

That happened, for example, with the American cyclist Lance Armstrong who was discredited by doping and the British fashion designer John Galliano after anti-Semitic brawl in a Parisian bar. In October, Macron announced that American film producer Harvey Weinstein must hand in his award after being accused of sexual misconduct.

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