Rabat – Writer Boualem Sansal is among the figures included in the latest civil promotion of France’s Legion of Honor, according to a decree published today in France’s Official Journal.
The new list grants France’s highest national distinction to 616 individuals from a wide range of professional and civic backgrounds.
Established in 1802 under Napoleon Bonaparte, the Legion of Honor is awarded to women and men considered to serve the public interest and to embody merit and civic responsibility.
This year’s promotion includes 528 chevaliers, 70 officers, 14 commanders, three grand officers, and one recipient of the grand cross.
Together, these ranks reflect the breadth of recognized contributions, spanning civil society, science, culture, justice, and collective memory.
At 81, Boualem Sansal enters the order as a chevalier. A major voice in francophone literature, Sansal spent nearly a year in detention in Algeria over his critical positions toward his country of birth.
He was eventually released in November following a presidential pardon granted by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. His inclusion in the Legion of Honor carries strong symbolic weight, intertwining literary recognition with a broader political context.
The cultural field is prominently represented in this promotion. Franco-Iranian writer Delphine Minoui, singer Nolwenn Leroy, comedian and actress Chantal Ladesou, and actors and directors Guillaume Canet, Jean-Paul Rouve, and Guillaume Gallienne are also all named chevaliers.
British painter David Hockney, 88, receives the distinction as a foreign national residing in France. A leading figure of pop art and contemporary painting, Hockney lived in Normandy from 2019 before returning to London in 2023, maintaining close ties with the French art scene.
The promotion also places emphasis on remembrance and support for victims of terrorism, a decade after the November 2015 attacks in Paris.
Additionally, Arthur Dénouveaux, president of the Life for Paris association, and Philippe Duperron, who heads 13onze15, are decorated for their work alongside survivors and bereaved families.
Among those elevated to the rank of officer are starred chef Anne-Sophie Pic and mathematician Michel Talagrand, winner of the Abel Prize in 2024.
Six distinctions are awarded under the citizen initiative scheme, which allows nominations outside traditional ministerial channels.
Each year, the civil promotion is complemented by a second list announced in mid-year, alongside two military promotions. Today, the Legion of Honor counts around 77,000 members, continuing to reflect the evolving contours and priorities of French society.
