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.

Simone Veil "tops" French honours list

Simone Veil, is probably the most high profile among a list of those announced on Thursday to receive France's most prestigious award, the Légion d'honneur or Legion of Honour.

Veil, recently elevated to the illustrious Académie française or French Academy, was named Grand Officier - one of the two highest levels of the order - at the discretion of the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Every time a new list or "class" is revealed - at the beginning of each year and then usually around Bastille Day on July 14 - there's a certain amount of "promotion" that goes on, if you like, as some individuals are bumped up a notch.

Hence in this New Year's list, Veil was in a sense fast-tracked - although that's perhaps not the most appropriate term to use for the 81-year-old former government minister - as she was named to one of the higher levels without having first passed through the lower ranks, as is usual.

Here's perhaps the moment to fill you in with a little bit of background about the Légion d'honneur - without going into too much detail as it can become both confusing and deadly boring.

So as briefly as possible :

While Britain has its New Year's honours list to pay tribute to the country's "great" by awarding them titles and medals for "individual personal bravery, achievement or service", France opts for its own version, in a manner of speaking .

The Légion d'honneur was created in 1802 by Napoleon as an order of merit to recognise "outstanding services rendered to France or a feat befitting humanity."

In the past it was limited to intellectual greats, artists, the military and in general those who had made what was considered an “important” historical contribution.

But in more recent years it has been "opened up" somewhat, and although there are limits on the numbers of those accepted into one of the five different ranks, the range of personalities can maybe leave some "purists" wondering what has happened to the original intent behind the order of merit.

Be that as it may, there are five different levels from Chevalier (Knight) - to which the maximum number of those accepted into the order is over 113,000 making it the most "accessible", through Officier (Officer) with a limit of 10,000, Commandeur (Commander) numbering no more than 1,250 and then the two elite levels; Grand Officier (Grand Officer) - 250 max, and "la crème de la crème" Grand-Croix (Grand Cross) whose limit is set at 75 .

For a more complete list of who has received what, when and why - see here and follow the appropriate links.

As far as Thursday's announcement goes, apart from Veil, other names that might ring a bell outside of France include the former international soccer star, Zinédine Zidane, who moves up from Chevalier to Officier, and two of the three joint recipients of the Nobel prize for medicine; Luc Montagnier, who will now become a Grand Officier, and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi is a Commandeur.

France's other Nobel laureate from 2008 - Jean-Marie Le Clézio, for literature - also becomes an Officier.

British fashion designer and big cheese at the Dior house, John Galliano, took his first step on the French ladder of honour when he was named a Chevalier.

And from the world of showbiz, the actress Isabelle Huppert, moved up from Chevalier to Officier - topping off a great start to the year for her as she has also just been named president of the jury at the 62nd International Cannes film festival, which will take place from May 13-24.

For a full list click here and once again follow the appropriate links.

Simone Veil - a truly exceptional woman

Simone Veil, one of France's most loved and respected political figures, has been elected to the prestigious Académie française or French Academy.

The 81-year-old former minister was chosen on Thursday to take over the seat left vacant by a former French prime minister, Pierre Messmer, who died in August last year.

If you're looking for a woman who arguably represents many of the ideals of European integration, has been at the forefront of this country's battle for women's rights over the years and has a personal history that surely leaves nobody untouched, then read on.

Before that though a word or two of explanation about l'Académie française.

It's one of this country's oldest and most respected institutions. It's made up of 40 people known as "immortals", each of whom holds a "seat". They're elected by other members, and have the position for life.

When one dies, it's up to the other académicians to vote on a replacement.

It has no official authority, in other words no binding legal powers, but it makes recommendations on the use and composition of the French language - yes a very French institution in a sense - in an attempt to "safeguard" the country's language and culture against - in particular - the infiltration of dreaded Anglicisms into everyday life.

For every English word, there is a French one, (such as courriel for email) but it doesn't necessarily mean that Monsieur et Madame Français et Française are going to use them.

It is, if you like the standard bearer of French culture, and publishes the "official" dictionary of the French language, known "dictionnaire de l'Académie française."

Elevation to l'Académie is possibly the greatest honour that can be bestowed upon an individual her in France.

Now back to Veil.

She's only the fifth woman to take her seat in the 40-strong body.

As a member of the centre-right Union pour la Démocratie Française (Union for French Democracy, UDF) Veil has had a long and distinguished domestic political career, which included five years in the 1970s as the French minister of health serving under two prime ministers.

She was instrumental in pushing through reforms to make contraception more easily available to women in France, and more famously for her battle to have abortion legalised in this country in 1975.

It was a battle she led in the face of staunch oppostion, that sometimes turned into violent street demonstrations

For 14 years Veil was a member of the European parliament, where she became the first elected and first female president since its creation in the 1950s.

After stepping down from the European parliament in 1993, she returned for a two-year spell as minister of state for social affairs.

Veil also campaigned heavily for the European constitution, which has been put on hold since the Irish "no" vote earlier this year, and she raised a few political eyebrows last year, when she came out in support of Nicolas Sarkozy in his campaign to become French president.

But it's not just her political career and fight for women's rights that have endeared her to the French and led much of the media to describe her as an "exceptional" woman when reporting her election to the Academy.

Because underlying all her political and professional achievements, there is of course a much more personal history.

Veil is a survivor of the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, to which she was deported at the age of 16, and where both her parents and brother were killed.

She is also the honorary president of Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah.

And speaking on national radio the morning after her election to the status of "immortal", Veil made reference to her experiences during World War II to put everything into perspective.

"It's a great honour," she said. "And yes we're called 'immortal'," she added.

"But for my part, I went past the stage of possible 'immortality' a long time ago, in the sense that a part of me died in the (concentration) camp," she continued.

"So such an idea is a difficult one for me to accept. But all the rest - to take my seat in the Academy and to be surrounded by a number of people of such great quality - it is of course a great honour."

Perhaps the French president himself, best summed up what many people here think, in a statement released shortly after the news was announced in which Sarkozy paid homage " to a stateswoman who has always served the Republic and shown perpetual courage in her fight for women's right, for Europe and for Shoah."

Simone Veil - a truly exceptional woman.