Writer Boualem Sansal and painter David Hockney embellished with the Legion of Honor | EUROtoday

The Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal, the painter David Hockney and the singer Nolwenn Leroy are among the many distinguished personalities within the promotion of the Legion of Honor of 1^er January, based on a decree revealed Thursday in Official Journal.

In whole, this new civilian promotion of the Legion of Honor, the best of French nationwide distinctions created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, rewards 616 folks “engaged in the service of the general interest” and embodying “a certain idea of ​​meritocracy and exemplarity”indicated the Grand Chancellery in a press launch.

Those embellished, the overwhelming majority of whom should not identified to most people, are distributed between 528 knights, 70 officers, 14 commanders, in addition to three grand officers and a grand cross.

Boualem Sansal enters at 81 years previous. Incarcerated in Algeria for nearly a yr for sure positions taken on his native nation, he regained freedom on November 12 after being pardoned by the Algerian president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The Franco-Iranian author Delphine Minoui, the singer Nolwenn Leroy, the comic and actress Chantal Ladesou, in addition to Guillaume Canet, Jean-Paul Rouve and Guillaume Gallienne for the world of cinema are embellished knights.

British painter David Hockney, 88, pioneer of pop artwork, is embellished as a foreigner residing in France. He moved to Normandy in 2019, earlier than returning to dwell in London in 2023.

Ten years after the assaults of November 13, 2015, the presidents of the associations Life for Paris, Arthur Dénouveaux, and 13onze15, Philippe Duperron, are distinguished for the primary time.

Ginette Kolinka and Jean-Marc Sauvé promoted

The grand cross is awarded to Jean-Marc Sauvé, honorary vice-president of the Council of State and former president of the Independent Commission on sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, whose report in 2021 triggered an earthquake.

Michelin-starred chef Anne-Sophie Pic and mathematician winner of the 2024 Abel Prize Michel Talagrand are promoted to officers.

Shoah reminiscence runner Ginette Kolinka, survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, is promoted to the rank of commander.

Three males and three ladies had been additionally embellished as a part of the residents’ initiative. This mechanism makes it doable to ship purposes on to the Grand Chancellery, to carry out profiles exterior the standard channels via the ministries.

Another civilian promotion is historically introduced every year in July. In 2025, it notably rewarded the world determine of the feminist combat Gisèle Pelicot. Two army promotions are additionally launched every year. The Legion of Honor is made up of some 77,000 members.