Outgoing UK PM Starmer receives France's top honour from Macron ahead of July 20 exit

A rare honour for a serving premier

On Monday 13 July, French President Emmanuel Macron awarded outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer the rank of Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour, France's highest national order. The ceremony took place at the Élysée Palace during Starmer's last session of the international coalition he co-founded. He is the first serving UK prime minister to receive the distinction; only Winston Churchill had been honoured previously, with the higher Grand Cross in 1958. The order, created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, counts among its recipients Nelson Mandela, Dwight Eisenhower, and controversially Vladimir Putin, Muammar Gaddafi, and Benito Mussolini. Only former Panamanian President Manuel Noriega has been stripped of the award; under Macron, Harvey Weinstein's decoration was also revoked.

The Coalition of the Willing

The award recognised Starmer's role in creating the Coalition of the Willing with Macron in early 2025, a group of countries committed to providing diplomatic and military backing to Ukraine. The first meeting, in London on 2 March 2025, gathered 15 nations. By the 13 July summit in Paris, the number had expanded to 37, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Moldovan President Maia Sandu. Leaders pledged to speed up support for Kyiv and announced that a multinational force for deployment after a ceasefire would begin training in neighbouring countries in the coming months.

Prime minister, dear Keir, I wanted to reiterate my gratitude and the gratitude of the French people, obviously for your years as a prime minister. But I have to say, beyond that, for your personal leadership and your commitments for obviously your country, but the security of our Europe, Ukraine, the bilateral relationship, your decency.

Macron described Starmer as a "reliable and friendly partner," and both Zelenskyy and Merz paid tribute to the outgoing prime minister at the event. Beyond Ukraine, Paris and London have pursued a joint initiative to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the recent energy crisis.

Bastille Day farewell

On Tuesday 14 July, Starmer attended the Bastille Day military parade, where British armed forces marched alongside their French counterparts for the first time in more than 20 years. The joint appearance was Starmer's final international engagement before leaving office. He met British troops and watched the parade from the presidential stand with Macron and Zelenskyy.

Succession and European legacy

Starmer announced his resignation on 22 June after months of pressure from within his Labour Party. He will hand over to Andy Burnham on 20 July. Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and a popular figure in northern England, has promised an "even closer" relationship with Europe, although he has yet to detail how he intends to resolve outstanding issues with the EU. Starmer's premiership, which began in July 2024, is credited with rebuilding ties with continental capitals, particularly Paris and Berlin, and maintaining steady military and diplomatic aid to Ukraine throughout a difficult period for peace negotiations.