Author of 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century' Rejects Legion of Honor Award

Thomas Piketty, the French economist whose work 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century' was the most controversial economic political work of 2014, has declined to accept the Legion of Honor award. He told AFP, 'I reject this award because it is not for the government to say who deserves it. They should better spend their time on economic recovery in France and Europe.' Piketty, along with Jean Tirole, an economist, and Patrick Modiano, a writer, both Nobel Prize winners, was listed among the recipients of the Legion of Honor awarded by the President of France on Wednesday, January 1. The Legion of Honor is the highest award in France, given to prominent figures in the country. Piketty's book, which discusses theories related to inequalities in economic growth, has long topped Amazon's bestseller list, selling over one and a half million copies. Paul Krugman, a columnist for The New York Times, referred to Piketty's book as a game-changer that, according to him, destroys the myth of 'deserving to acquire great wealth.' The majority of readers of his book have been in the United States, and he has met several times with advisors to Barack Obama, the former President of the United States. Piketty's work has received less attention in France, as he is a staunch critic of François Hollande, the socialist president of the country. His criticism of Hollande is that he has turned his back on his promise of economic reforms, including changes to the tax system that he pledged during his campaign.