George Clooney and wife Amal granted French citizenship
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/29/george-clooney-wife-amal-granted-french-citizenshipOpen linkView original on lemmy.world136
Comments18https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/29/george-clooney-wife-amal-granted-french-citizenshipOpen linkView original on lemmy.world
I can't blame the guy one bit. Those leeches are scum.
Yeah, you don't need to be a celebrity with kids to empathize with that one
Lucky for them to be prominent and not coming from south of the mediterranean sea. Otherwise they would have drowned and nobody would care.
Any idea how they qualified? Is there some special law for the rich?
According to the article, they mostly seem to live in France (for several years now?) and his wife is fluent in French. He is also learning the language. Usually, these two aspects are important criteria for granting citizenship.
Being wealthy and connected certainly doesn't hurt either.
Article says only that they bought the home in 2021 and that "the family travels frequently", which sounds like both not long enough residency and too many absences for a normal person's citizenship. Also it says he is still poor at the language after many lessons.
Getting old sucks.
Learning French sucks
I assume that there are even special lawyers for the rich :-)
But of course it is also legally possible for normal people to become French.
I guess one hurdle in becoming a citizen would be the government fearing you becoming a burden. Being filthy rich might help.
I assume normal people have to learn the language and the laws and the history and probably take some tests.
Do rich people get to skip all that? (Because they will pay more taxes and spend more to contribute to the economy?)
Your guess is as good as mine. But I understand that you don't want to have citizens that can't provide for themselves, so riches at least help. And being a beloved actor might help as well.
Yes?
Totally cromulent. normal people become French, thus stopping to be normal
France has a Gini coefficient of 31 (2022), USA have 42 (2023)
Of course, but George Clooney doesn't obviously meet the 5-year residence length or B1 language level requirements shown on the government page for French naturalization by decree | Service Public. And from Thursday, he would have needed to pass a history and culture exam too.
All credit to him if he did it fair and square, without special exceptions.