Outgoing UK PM Starmer given France's top honour by President Macron
Macron said Starmer played a historic role in building a 30-plus-nation coalition for Ukraine and praised his leadership and commitments to Europe.
- On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron awarded British Prime Minister Keir Starmer France's highest honour, the Legion d'honneur, making him the first serving UK prime minister to receive it.
- The award recognizes Starmer's role in establishing the Coalition, a group co-chaired by London and Paris that unites more than 30 countries pledging financial and military backing for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
- On Tuesday, Starmer attended the Bastille Day parade in Paris, joining an exclusive historical precedent: only Winston Churchill, who received the higher-ranking Grand-Croix in 1958, has previously held comparable French honours.
- While foreign leaders praise his work, Starmer faces a heated online debate over whether he 'deserves' the decoration as he prepares to step down on July 20 after losing Labour Party confidence.
- Macron praised Starmer's 'personal leadership' and 'decency,' signaling the sea-change in relations with France since Labour's return to power after 14 years of Conservative rule, though questions remain about the Coalition's durability post-Starmer.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Less than a week after leaving 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has been decorated with the Legion of Honor of France. French President Emmanuel Macron gave him this distinction on 13 July, coinciding in Paris with the summit of the Volunteer Coalition for Ukraine and the military parade held on Tuesday in the French capital on the occasion of the festivities of 14 July. Starmer will leave office on 20 July after only…
France's President and Britain's Prime Ministers are considered the driving forces behind the "Coalition of the Willing." Starmer is said to have been raised to the rank of Grand Officer.
Emmanuel Macron awarded him the Legion of Honor, the most prestigious French decoration, to British premier Keir Starmer, who is resigning and will be replaced on July 20 at Downing Street by Andy Burnham.
'He Doesn't Deserve It': Keir Starmer's Legion of Honour Sparks Heated Debate Online After Macron Ceremony
French President Emmanuel Macron has awarded Keir Starmer the Légion d'honneur, making him the first serving UK prime minister to receive France's highest honour, and triggering a heated online debate over whether he 'deserves' the decoration for his role in European security and support for Ukraine. The award was presented in Paris on Monday, days before Starmer is due to step down on 20 July after losing the confidence of his Labour Party. It …
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