Russia grants citizenship to tax-exile actor Depardieu
Thursday 03 January 2013
Printable
EmailFrench tax-exile film star Gerard Depardieu was granted Russian citizenship today in a decision likely to strain the country's ties with Paris.
The Kremlin said that President Vladimir Putin had personally approved Mr Depardieu's (pictured) citizenship following an application from the actor, who refused to comment.
The row over the star's tax status kicked off in October when the mayor of the Belgian town of Nechin revealed he had bought a house and set up his legal residence there.
His flight of a few hundred metres from the French border was apparently a bid to avoid President Francois Hollande's plan to implement a 75 per cent tax rate on incomes over €1 million (£810,000). Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called the move "pathetic."
Mr Depardieu is very popular in Russia, which has a flat income tax rate of 13 per cent.
If you appreciated this article then please consider donating to the Morning Star's Fighting Fund to ensure we can keep developing your paper.
Editorial
Exploit Tory woes, Labour
Lord Feldman says that he didn't call grassroots Tories "mad swivel-eyed loons" while his accusers stand by their stories that he did.
Features
Let's get Britain back on track
As Aslef's annual assembly of delegates begins in Edinburgh tomorrow the general secretary explains the challenges his members - and workers across the country - face
The vicious cycle of eurozone decline
France is the latest to face clamour from the EU to enforce crippling 'structural reforms.' The medicine is killing the patient