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American actor George Clooney has been granted French citizenship following a request from the country's foreign minister, according to an official document, Politico reports.
In a letter dated October 20 sent to France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who handles citizenship procedures, Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot proposed that the Hollywood star, his wife Amal and their children obtain citizenship through the so-called "citoyen émérite" process.
This allows "a foreigner who speaks French and who contributes through his or her work to prosperity in international economic relations" to become a French citizen through a request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Barrot points out that the Clooney family is "permanently settled" in the south of France, where their children attend school, and that the couple "maintains personal and professional ties with [France]."
The letter highlights the Clooney family's philanthropic work and notes that "through their paths and commitments in life, they embody the values of solidarity, freedom and creativity that France promotes throughout the world." It also states that "Mr. Clooney's professional activity generates significant financial benefits from which the French film industry benefits."
A spokesman for France's foreign ministry confirmed that the request to offer citizenship to the Clooney family, which was officially granted on December 26 according to official French public records, was made by Barrot.
A spokesman for George Clooney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. George Clooney and his wife, Amal, a human rights lawyer, run the Clooney Foundation for Justice, an organization dedicated to "providing free legal aid in defense of free speech and women's rights in over 40 countries." In Europe, the foundation's activities and the actor's activism have put him at odds with Russian authorities and Hungary's Viktor Orban, whom Clooney described as an example of "anger and hatred."
In the US, Clooney has maintained close ties to Democratic Party officials and played a key role in urging former President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential campaign. He has also clashed with current President Donald Trump, who called him a "fake movie actor" on his Truth Social network in April.
This provision, used to grant citizenship to Clooney, has enabled several public figures to obtain French passports in the past, including Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel and Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov.
Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, minister delegate to the interior minister, said she felt embarrassed by this development and thought it “sends the wrong message.” She added that she would “review” the entire procedure.
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