Putin grants Russian citizenship to a French actor.

[barbarossa]

Actor Gérard Depardieu
Vladimir Putin and Gérard Depardieu. | AFP


Russian President signed a decree granting this agreement
The French threatened to give up his passport for tax increases
Efe | France Presse | Moscow
Updated Thursday 03/01/2013 10:27 hours
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President Vladimir Putin has agreed to grant Russian citizenship to the actor Gérard Depardieu, who recently threatened to give up his passport in protest French by the French government's decision to increase the 75% tax on the income of the richest.
"Vladimir Putin has signed a decree" under Article 89 of the Russian Constitution , "granting Russian citizenship to French Gérard Depardieu," clarified the Kremlin said in a statement.
Depardieu was born in France in 1948, has given life to characters like Obelix, Cyrano de Bergerac and Martin Guerre.
Putin had already secured last December issuing Russian passports to the French artist if he decided definitively renounce their original citizenship, but noted that "he (Depardieu) is considered French."
"He considers himself European and world citizen . But loves his country, its culture and lives.'m not sure now is going through a good time, but this will end, "he said.
Putin stressed that artists are people with "special spirit" and that "it is easy to hurt his feelings."
'They did not want to hurt Depardieu'
"I am convinced that the top leaders (from France) Depardieu would not hurt , but any official high or medium range and always defend our policy decisions, "he said.
The Kremlin had made ​​a joke at first Depardieu who claims, the newspaper 'Le Monde', said the Russian president had sent him a passport .
The actor, 64, announced a few weeks ago the transfer of his residence from France to Néchin, a Belgian town, barely a mile from the French border.

Measure unconstitutional

His decision was criticized as "lamentable" by the French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, which outraged Depardieu, who reacted by announcing its intention to renounce French nationality.
Depardieu said recently that he would not reconsider his decision after the French Constitutional Council rejected the measure announced by the chairman, François Hollande.


http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2013/01/0 ... 03150.html

[Navy9]

he portrayed Cyrano de Bergerac that will be quite fun to watch it...