‘President of rich’ Macron honours Bezos
Billionaire given France’s highest order of merit in discreet ceremony despite strikes ravaging country
‘Bezos contributed to the destruction of 85,000 jobs. Tell me who your friends are, I’ll tell you who you are’
EMMANUEL MACRON reportedly gave a Legion of Honour medal to Jeff Bezos as France was rocked by strikes against pension reforms, sealing his reputation among critics as “president of the rich”.
The event was not published on the president’s official agenda this month and was held in a discreet ceremony behind closed doors in the presence of a few select guests, reported
According to Mr Bezos was designated a member of the Légion d’honneur about 10 years ago, before Macron became president. The medal he recently received was the one he should have been given then but did not collect.
The Legion of Honour is the highest French decoration and one of the most famous in the world. It is awarded to “the most deserving citizens in all fields of activity” and does not include any material or financial benefits.
The irony of giving it to one of the richest men in the world was not lost on the president’s critics, who have long claimed he is a friend to the rich.
Alma Dufour, a La France Insoumise MP, said: “In the midst of pension reforms, Macron gives the Legion of Honour to Bezos who... contributed to the destruction of 85,000 retail jobs. Tell me who your friends are, I’ll tell you who you are.”
Leila Chaibi, another Left-wing politician, said: “A well-deserved reward from the hands of the president of the rich.”
François Piquemal, also an MP from La France Insoumise, said: “Again and again, everything from the rich, nothing for the people.”
The revelation follows protests this month in which hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in protest against Mr Macron’s plans to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.
The reforms, which aim to address looming pension deficits, have been criticised for making people work longer while allowing multi-billion dollar technology companies such as Mr Bezos’s Amazon to skirt taxes in France.
In 2018, Amazon settled a long-running dispute with French tax authorities seeking nearly €200 million (£176 million) in back taxes and penalties for the years from 2006 to 2010. Mr Bezos is not the first billionaire to receive the award. Francois Hollande gave the honour to Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and to Hiroshi Mikitani, the founder of online retail company Rakuten.
The legion has around 79,000 members, and about 2,200 French citizens and 300 foreigners are awarded the medal each year.
Candidates for the honour are nominated by French ministers, politicians, leaders of trade unions, non-profits and presidents of professional and sports federations.