Where, on the American continent, have we been seeing something similar for some years?
Hm. I wonder…
After passing a 75% super-tax on the richest Frenchmen (it's for patriotic reasons, they claim haughtily, so the rich ought to feel… privileged), the socialist government is becoming irritated that some of the latter — the most recent and the most famous of whom is none other than Gérard Depardieu — do not want to be milch cows and are emigrating to Belgium or Switzerland — in Gégé's case, to a village (Estaimpuis) less than a mile from France's northern border (and where a fourth of the population is composed of — rich — Frenchmen)…
The lesson the left takes from this?
Re-think their punitive policies? Pas du tout…
It is to try and strip said rich capitalist pigs of their French nationality!
Meanwhile, the mayor of Estaimpuis explains facetiously the reason why Jayrahd Deepahdyew (merci, Hervé) has moved to Southern Belgium: "the landscape."
Daniel Senesael, le bourgmestre (PS) d'Estaimpuis, a lui-même confirmé l'installation de Gérard Depardieu qui faisait, lundi, la "une" de tous les quotidiens populaires. La rumeur courait depuis des semaines et, dans l'intervalle, les services de police ont vérifié sa domiciliation. "L'acteur a promis de vivre six mois par an dans cette maison ", affirmait, lundi, le quotidien La Province, en montrant l'austère façade grise de la maison acquise par l'acteur.
Selon M. Senesael, celui-ci "voulait surtout quitter la ville et il a apprécié le paysage (...) ainsi que le contact avec la population". Une affirmation qui fait sourire. "Car ce n'est pas uniquement par amour de la région que la star a décidé de s'installer en Belgique, relève Le Soir. Il est plutôt question pour lui de fuir la super-taxe [de 75 % des revenus au-delà d'un million d'euros] imposée aux plus riches par M. Hollande", note le quotidien.No word on whether Nounours ("Teddy Bear" has been Depardieu's nickname since the actor started gaining weight many years ago) plans to acquire the Belgian nationality — which would make the socialists' attempt to strip the star of his French citizenship somewhat moot — as is being sought by the previously most famous expatriate, LVMH boss Bernard Arnault.
Update: Plantu's Le Monde cartoon shows Depardieu
as Obelix fleeing Gaul with a safe on his back
Update: Offended by Taxes and Government Insults, Depardieu Goes a Step Further and Returns His French Passport
Update 2: Asking a socialist to embrace austerity is like asking a prostitute to embrace chastity
