Ordre national du Mérite
| Ordre national du Mérite | |
|---|---|
Sash, badge and star of a Grand Cross | |
| Awarded by the President of France | |
| Type | Order of merit |
| Established | 3 December 1963 |
| Ribbon | Blue |
| Awarded for | Distinguished civil or military achievements |
| Status | Active |
| Grand Master | President Emmanuel Macron |
| Grades | Grand Cross Grand Officer Commander Officer Knight |
| Statistics | |
| First induction | 1963 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Military Medal |
| Next (lower) | National Recognition Medal for Victims of Terrorism |
| Related | Order of Agricultural Merit Order of Maritime Merit |
Grand-croix Officier Chevalier Ribbon bars of the order | |
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. It comprises about 185,000 members; 306,000 members have been admitted or promoted in 50 years.