French actor Gerard Depardieu says he is handing back his French passport after the prime minister criticised him for moving to Belgium to avoid taxes.
French star Deneuve defends Depardieu over Belgium home
French actress Catherine Deneuve has defended fellow movie star Gerard Depardieu over his move to Belgium.
In an open letter Deneuve voiced fury that another actor, Philippe Torreton, had attacked Depardieu for leaving France "with a load of dosh".
Deneuve said "he is a great actor and you're just expressing your resentment". She starred with Depardieu in several classic French films.
Depardieu has criticised the Socialist government for its new 75% wealth tax.
Next year, the top rate of income tax in France is due to become 75% on earnings above 1m euros (£813,000; $1.3m). Belgium's highest tax rate is currently 50%.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has condemned Depardieu's decision as "shabby".
In her letter, headlined "Monsieur Torreton..." in the left-wing daily Liberation, Catherine Deneuve accused the actor of "pettiness".
"To take aim at his physique! His talent! This 'mess' you speak of - what right do you have, what democratic motive do you claim as grounds for your dirty condemnation?"
Depardieu, 63, announced earlier this month that he was moving just over the French border to to the small Belgian town of Nechin.
Deneuve starred with him in some landmarks of French cinema, including The Last Metro and, more recently, the Franco-Belgian comedy, Potiche.
On Wednesday another star of French cinema, Brigitte Bardot, also defended Depardieu, saying he was the victim of "unfair vilification".
"Even if he is a fan of bullfighting, that does not prevent him being an exceptional actor who represents France with a unique fame and popularity," said Bardot, a campaigner for animal rights.
On Thursday the row spread to Russia where President Vladimir Putin addressed the actor's move abroad during his marathon annual news conference.
Mr Putin told a big live audience: "I'm sure the French authorities did not want to offend Mr Depardieu. But if he'd like to have a Russian passport, consider it settled."
Given that morality in itself is fundamentally meaningless and utopianism is a pipe dream perpetuated by naive idiots... whatever. I learned to stop caring because human nature (especially the species' inclination towards greed) never changes.
'Sides the socialists in France would use those taxes to line their own pockets. Their ideology is essentially the exploitation of the third estate under guise of caring for them, which they do not.
"Public_Domain" said We're all in a competition to bribe the rich to stay "here" with better methods of keeping the weak and immobile poor man down.
What a pathetic game. How moral. How Darwinian.
No... how utterly plutocratic.
Because taxing the wealthy at such an excessive rate was a brilliant idea. There's a difference between "bribing them to stay", and trying to squeeze them for every goddamn penny they make.
But it's not enough, Andy wants it all.
Let's not forget Belgium is hardly a tax haven, must be something serious in France.
Welcome to the new reality.
But it's not enough, Andy wants it all.
Let's not forget Belgium is hardly a tax haven, must be something serious in France.
Welcome to the new reality.
Mind the British Pound sign there... Euro 145M is US$191M
The wealthy are very mobile. Those socialist idiots in France are shooting themselves in the foot with this ridiculousness.
Bingo!
French actress Catherine Deneuve has defended fellow movie star Gerard Depardieu over his move to Belgium.
In an open letter Deneuve voiced fury that another actor, Philippe Torreton, had attacked Depardieu for leaving France "with a load of dosh".
Deneuve said "he is a great actor and you're just expressing your resentment". She starred with Depardieu in several classic French films.
Depardieu has criticised the Socialist government for its new 75% wealth tax.
Next year, the top rate of income tax in France is due to become 75% on earnings above 1m euros (£813,000; $1.3m). Belgium's highest tax rate is currently 50%.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has condemned Depardieu's decision as "shabby".
In her letter, headlined "Monsieur Torreton..." in the left-wing daily Liberation, Catherine Deneuve accused the actor of "pettiness".
"To take aim at his physique! His talent! This 'mess' you speak of - what right do you have, what democratic motive do you claim as grounds for your dirty condemnation?"
Depardieu, 63, announced earlier this month that he was moving just over the French border to to the small Belgian town of Nechin.
Deneuve starred with him in some landmarks of French cinema, including The Last Metro and, more recently, the Franco-Belgian comedy, Potiche.
On Wednesday another star of French cinema, Brigitte Bardot, also defended Depardieu, saying he was the victim of "unfair vilification".
"Even if he is a fan of bullfighting, that does not prevent him being an exceptional actor who represents France with a unique fame and popularity," said Bardot, a campaigner for animal rights.
On Thursday the row spread to Russia where President Vladimir Putin addressed the actor's move abroad during his marathon annual news conference.
Mr Putin told a big live audience: "I'm sure the French authorities did not want to offend Mr Depardieu. But if he'd like to have a Russian passport, consider it settled."
'Sides the socialists in France would use those taxes to line their own pockets. Their ideology is essentially the exploitation of the third estate under guise of caring for them, which they do not.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21559612
So his tax rate will go from 75% to a flat 13%.... Fuck You Francois !!
We're all in a competition to bribe the rich to stay "here" with better methods of keeping the weak and immobile poor man down.
What a pathetic game. How moral. How Darwinian.
No... how utterly plutocratic.
Because taxing the wealthy at such an excessive rate was a brilliant idea. There's a difference between "bribing them to stay", and trying to squeeze them for every goddamn penny they make.
When is (0.25 x > 0.87 y) ? Let's see what fat-ass thinks of the croissants and coq au vin in Moscow.
I thought you didn't much care for concepts like borders and citizenship. So who cares if he goes to Moscow to save a few bucks?
I don't care, but where would you rather live, Paris or Moscow?
None of the above. I prefer small town living to the rat race.
The amount of money this guy has, he'd live in luxury wherever he went.