Commandant Jacques Cousteau, a Grand-Croix of the Ordre national du Mérite.
The Ordre national du Mérite (French: [ɔʁdʁ nɑsjɔnal dy meʁit]; English: National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's establishment was twofold: to replace the large number of ministerial orders previously awarded by the ministries; and to create an award that can be awarded at a lower level than the Legion of Honour, which is generally reserved for French citizens.[3] It comprises about 185,000 members; 306,000 members have been admitted or promoted in 50 years.[4]
| Ordre national du Mérite | |
|---|---|
Sash, badge and star of a Grand Cross
| |
| Awarded by the PresidentofFrance | |
| Type | Order of merit |
| Established | 3 December 1963 |
| Ribbon | Blue |
| Awarded for | Distinguished civil or military achievements |
| Status | Active [1] |
| Grand Master | President Emmanuel Macron |
| Grades | Grand Cross Grand Officer Commander Officer Knight |
| Statistics | |
| First induction | 1963 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Military Medal[2] |
| Next (lower) | National Recognition Medal for Victims of Terrorism[2] |
| Related | Order of Agricultural Merit Order of Maritime Merit |
 Grand-croix
 Officier  Chevalier Ribbon bars of the order | |
The Ordre national du Mérite comprises about 185,000 members; 306,000 members have been admitted or promoted in 50 years.[4] Half of its recipients are required to be women.[4]
The Ordre national du Mérite replaced the following ministerial and colonial orders:[3]
French citizens as well as foreign nationals, men and women, can be received into the order for distinguished military or civil achievements, though of a lesser level than that required for the award of the Legion of Honour. The President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the order and appoints all its members by convention on the advice of the Government of France. The order has a common Chancellor and Chancery with the Legion of Honour. Every Prime Minister of France is made a Grand Cross of the order after 6 months of service.[5] Jacques Chirac, who would later serve as president, was the first prime minister to receive the Grand Cross of the order ex officio.
The Order has five classes, the same as the Legion of Honour:[3]
The medal and the plaque of the Order were designed by the French sculptor Max Leognany.[3]
| Ordre national du Mérite Ribbons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Knight |
 Officer |
 Commander |
 Grand Officer |
 Grand Cross |
| Knight | Officer | Commander | Grand Officer | Grand Cross |
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The individuals listed below have been admitted as members of the National Order of Merit:
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