Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of his Legion of Honour, France’s highest distinction, after being convicted of corruption and influence peddling.

The centre-right politician has been embroiled in legal battles since leaving office in 2012.

France’s highest court upheld his conviction for corruption and influence peddling in 2024, ordering him to wear an electronic tag for a year — a first for a former French head of state.

Also in 2024, an appeals court confirmed a separate conviction for illegal campaign financing in his failed re-election bid in 2012.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

The rules of the Legion of Honour award meant the revocation — announced in a decree published in Sunday’s Official Bulletin — had been expected.