Légion d'honneur - thank you but no thank you

It doesn't happen that often, and when it does, it tends to go rather unnoticed.

But two recipients of this country's highest decoration, the Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honour) have declined the award.

Françoise Fressoz et Marie-Eve Malouines are journalists whose names appeared in the latest list published on January 1, and they have both decided to turn down the award.

Apparently neither knew ahead of the list's publication that they had been included as they hadn't been informed ahead of time, and weren't exactly thrilled at being "among the last to know."

"On returning from holiday I was surprised to see my name among those being awarded the honour," said Fressoz, head of political section at the centre-left national daily Le Monde.

"I see nothing in my professional career so far that justifies receiving such a distinction and I also think that to be able to function in the role freely, a political journalist needs to remain outside of the honours system."

That was a sentiment echoed by Malouines, who is also head of a political section, but at France Info, one of the country's national public radio stations.

She too had been surprised at her inclusion and made it clear that she felt "honour-bound" to decline the offer.

"This list is made public, and I would like to make clear that I had never sought to have my name put forward," she said.

"I too believe that there is nothing in my professional career that justifies the honour and therefore I feel obliged to reject it."

Whether the two women were right to decline the award is of course up for debate.

They are certainly well within their rights and from what they've both said on the subject, felt that there was a conflict of interests involved between retaining their integrity as (political) journalists, and accepting an award with perhaps perceived political undertones.

Both reportedly had their names put forward by the association representing parliamentary journalists.

And over the years there have been plenty of other (political) journalists who have been named and accepted the award.

On the publication of the New Year's list in 2007 for example, the name of Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette appeared.

At the time she was the editor-in-chief of the centre-right Le Figaro magazine and is now head of the political section of the weekly magazine Le Point.

As Pierre-Brossolette told the website Rue 89, there could be a moment's hesitation in accepting the award as a journalist, but in essence it shouldn't become the issue of a "polemic".

"My point of view is quite simple and can be summed up in three points," she said.

"The Légion d'honneur is not something one asks for, nor is it something one refuses and it isn't a medal one wears."

The award, with its five different levels, was created in 1802 by Napoleon as an order of merit to recognise "outstanding services rendered to France or a feat befitting humanity."

Lists of those to receive the country's most prestigious awards appear on January 1 and July 14 (Bastille Day).

Probably the most high profile recipient among the list of those announced last week was the former government minister, Simone Veil.