General François Lecointre has a new hat.
The former army staff was appointed Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honor in the Council of Ministers on Monday.
He succeeds in these functions to General Benoît Puga, former Chief of Staff of Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande, who has headed the institution since September 2016. Chief of the Defense Staff from 2017 to 2021, François Lecointre had succeeded General Pierre de Villiers who had resigned after an open conflict with Emmanuel Macron, just elected, linked to the defense budget.
The guardian of the values of the Legion of Honor
Chosen by the Head of State from among the Grand Crosses of the Legion of Honor, the Grand Chancellor is appointed to head the institution for a renewable six-year term.
He is the guardian of the values of the Legion of Honor, arbiter of decorations - he receives nomination proposals from ministers - and is the order's ambassador in France and abroad.
It is also responsible for the governance of the Military Medal, the National Order of Merit and the National Medal of Recognition for Victims of Terrorism.
Finally, the Grand Chancellor presents the necklace of the Legion of Honor to the president elected or re-elected at each investiture ceremony.
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