Award of the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur to Law School of Athens Professor Maria Gavouneli

Professor Maria Gavouneli, Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law and Deputy Director of the Athens Center for Public International Law (Athens PIL), has been honoured by the French Republic.

The insignia of the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur were bestowed upon Professor Maria Gavouneli and Mr Margaritis Schinas, Minister of Rural Development and Food and former Vice-President of the European Commission, by Mr Benjamin Haddad, Minister for European and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, on Saturday, 25 April 2026, at the French Embassy in Athens, during the visit of President Emmanuel Macron to Greece.

During the ceremony, the Minister referred to her academic work, especially on matters pertaining to the law of the sea, her contribution to the protection of human rights in her capacity as President of the Greek National Commission for Human Rights, and her role in promoting bilateral relations within the framework of the common European project, as the first woman Director General of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP).

In her reply, Professor Maria Gavouneli pointed out that, although she is the first Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law who did not complete her studies in France, she nevertheless continues the long tradition of close academic, political, and cultural ties between the two countries.