Highlights
- US president Donald Trump criticises George Clooney becoming French citizen, calling actor one of "worst political prognosticators of all time".
- Junior French minister Marie-Pierre Vedrenne questions double standards as Clooney granted citizenship despite admitting poor French after 400 lessons.
- Decision comes ahead of tougher language requirements from January (1).
US president Donald Trump piled on criticism Wednesday of a decision to grant Hollywood superstar George Clooney French citizenship after a junior government official in Paris labelled the move a "double standard".
An official decree confirmed that the 64-year-old Oscar winner, his wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney and their two children had become French citizens, sparking controversy just ahead of language requirements being toughened for everyone else under new immigration rules from January (1).
Trump, whose administration has backed anti-immigration parties in Europe, said Paris was welcome to the Ocean's Eleven star, a long-term Democratic supporter, fundraiser and vocal critic of the president.
"Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration," Trump said on his Truth Social network.
A junior member of president Emmanuel Macron's government also criticised the decision to award passports despite Clooney speaking poor French.
"Personally, I understand the feeling of some French people of a double standard," Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a junior interior minister, told the France Info radio station. "We need to be careful about the message we're sending."
French officials defend
However, her boss, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, and the foreign ministry defended the decision. Nunez said he was "very happy" with the actor and his family becoming French, saying the country was lucky to have them.
Clooney has admitted his French remains poor despite hundreds of lessons. "I love the French culture, your language, even if I'm still bad at it after 400 days of courses," the actor told RTL radio in English in December.
Clooney said he loved French culture and languageGetty Images
Under the new immigration rules from Thursday, applicants will need a certificate showing they have a level of French that could get them into a French university. They will also have to pass a civic knowledge test.
Clooney bought the Domaine du Canadel, a former wine estate, near the Provence town of Brignoles, in 2021. He said it is where his family is "happiest". His wife, an international human rights lawyer and dual UK-Lebanese national, speaks fluent French.
The French foreign ministry said the passport allocation "meets the conditions set by law" for naturalisation.
The family "followed a rigorous procedure including security investigations, regulatory naturalisation interviews at the prefecture, and the payment of tax stamps," the ministry added.
Around 48,800 people acquired French nationality by decree in 2024, according to interior ministry figures.
Clooney is not alone in wanting a French passport, with Hollywood director Jim Jarmusch announcing on Friday that he was also applying, telling French radio he wanted "a place to where I can escape the United States".
