French Actor Depardieu Gets Russian Passport

French film star Gerard Depardieu received a Russian passport at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. The legendary French actor said he was glad to be granted Russian citizenship, adding that he loves Russia and promising to study the Russian language. Depardieu recently renounced his French citizenship and settled in the Belgian border town of Nechin. His decision to settle in Belgium came ahead of the Socialist government’s initially planned implementation of a 75 percent tax rate on annual earnings above $1.3 million. By comparison, Russia has a fixed 13 percent income tax. France’s highest court later rejected the controversial government proposal to impose a “super-tax” on the wealthy, deeming it discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional. Meanwhile, French actress Brigitte Bardot has threatened to follow her colleague Gerard Depardieu and apply for Russian citizenship too. Renowned actress and animal rights campaigner, 77-year-old Bardot said that she will have to become Russian in case the French authorities do not drop their plan to put down two sick elephants at a zoo in Lyon.


http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130106/178607303/French_Actor_Depardieu_Gets_Russian.html
http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130104/178582292/Actress_Bardot_Threatens_to_Become.html
http://rt.com/art-and-culture/news/putin-russian-citizenship-depardieu-260/ (video)