Together with Lydie Polfer and Viviane Reding, Paulette Lenert is now one of the few Luxembourg women to have been decorated with the Order of the Legion of Honour. (Photo: Guy Wolff/Maison Moderne)

Together with Lydie Polfer and Viviane Reding, Paulette Lenert is now one of the few Luxembourg women to have been decorated with the Order of the Legion of Honour.  (Photo: Guy Wolff/Maison Moderne)

Claire Lignières-Counathe, French ambassador to Luxembourg, awarded the insignia of Officer in the Order of the Legion of Honour to Luxembourg health minister Paulette Lenert in recognition of the Franco-Luxembourgish cooperation during the covid-19 pandemic.

Lenert, who acts as deputy prime minister, minister for consumer protection, health minister, and minister delegate for social security, received the medal on 19 May during a ceremony at the ambassador's residence.

With this decoration, France expressed its recognition to Luxembourg's authorities for their cooperation the height of the sanitary crisis.

In March and April 2020, Luxembourg welcomed 11 patients from the Grand Est region in four hospitals in Luxembourg City (CHL, Robert Schuman Hospitals, CHDN and Chem). Their returns were staggered until May.

The grand duchy also organised helicopter transfers to its territory. In the end, all French patients--except for one, who died--were able to return to France.

“Being named an officer of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour is an enormous honour and a source of pride for me,” said Lenert shortly after being decorated.

The capital already decorated by France

A few Luxembourg personalities have received this honour for their contribution to the bilateral relationship between the two countries or for their European commitment.

In 2015, on the occasion of Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to Luxembourg,  crown prince Guillaume received the insignia of Grand Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honour.

Xavier Bettel (since 2015), Jean Asselborn (since 2013), Jean-Claude Juncker (since 2011) and Lydie Polfer are all commanders of the Legion of Honour.

Like Lenert, MP Viviane Reding, the former minister of internal affairs, deputy Jean-Marie Halsdorf, former economy and mobility minister Henri Grethen are all considered officers.

The City of Luxembourg has belonged to the Order of the Legion of Honour since 18 June 1957. Only five other cities outside France (Algiers, Belgrade, Brazzaville, Liège and Volgograd) have received this title.

This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.