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Open Letter to Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of France
Mr. President,
The Légion d’honneur, the highest French award, symbolises the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity. However, its awarding to certain controversial figures such as Vladimir Putin, Muammar Gaddafi, Bashar al-Assad, Nicolae Ceaușescu, and among others to the Georgian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili has tarnished its prestige and provoked public indignation. Nonetheless, France has reaffirmed its commitment to its fundamental principles by revoking Assad's distinction in 2018.
Today, we, representatives of Georgian civil society and all those who support us in France and Europe, address you at a time when Georgia’s freedom and democracy are in jeopardy. We respectfully urge you to revoke the Legion d’Honneur awarded to Mr. Ivanishvili whose actions run counter to the democratic principles and republican values that France honours.
Mr. Ivanishvili amassed his fortune in Russia during the 1990s, a period rife with criminal practices and corruption networks. His name has also been associated in France with the Angolagate scandal, involving large-scale money laundering operations.
Since the rigged parliamentary elections of October 26, 2024, and especially following Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement that the Georgian government will not pursue negotiations with the European Union until the end of 2028, it has become glaringly evident that Bidzina Ivanishvili's efforts are directed toward returning Georgia to Russian influence, despite the Georgian people's overwhelming desire—enshrined in the Constitution—to be part of the Euro-Atlantic community.
Ivanishvili's regime, sustained by fraudulent elections, exercises complete control over institutions: the judiciary, parliament, law enforcement, and government. His rule relies on the persecution of the opposition, civil society, and independent media. He embodies an authoritarian model closely mirroring that of Mr. Putin, suppressing any democratic aspirations in Georgia.
Mr. President, by maintaining Mr. Ivanishvili's Légion d’honneur, France sends a dangerous message: that it turns a blind eye to the destruction of a democracy it has supported for years. Revoking this distinction from Mr. Ivanishvili would be a powerful symbolic act, affirming that France continues to actively support the Georgian people in their fight for democracy and freedom.
We call upon you to demonstrate the same moral courage toward Mr. Ivanishvili as you did in 2018 when revoking Bashar al-Assad's Légion d'honneur. France, the cradle of human rights, cannot condone a man who epitomises corruption, repression, and authoritarianism.
Mr. President, on behalf of Georgian citizens who fight for freedom and democracy, we respectfully but urgently request that you revoke the Légion d’honneur from Bidzina Ivanishvili.
With the utmost respect,