French Film Star, Luxury Mogul, Invited to Seek Bulgarian Citizenship

Bernard Arnauult, Chairman and CEO of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and legendary French actor Gerard Depardieu, who are fleeing France over high wealth tax rates, have received an invitation to become Bulgarian citizens.

Iskren Veselinov, Chair of the Center for Demographic Policy (CDP), has sent a letter to Europe's richest man and to the French film star, asking them to consider the possibility of becoming Bulgarian citizens.

The letter to Arnault and Depardieu opens with a remark that the CDP has been closely following the attempts of the two to obtain a citizenship other than French and offers them to give some thought to the option of Bulgarian citizenship.

"Bulgaria is an exceptionally beautiful country inhabited by smart, industrious, and good-natured people. The environment and the air are clean because we have no industry at all," the letter says, as cited by econ.bg

The letter provides a sarcastic list of the advantages of Bulgaria as a destination for elite immigrants, including a "most competent and efficient government", "chalga music, highways, subway, gypsies and romantic, concrete-filled resorts with first-class alcoholic beverages of the Tsar Kiro brand", experienced prostitutes, and optional payment of taxes with the possibility to "drain as much as you wish from the tax system."

"Our population is shrinking from happiness, which is why we need reinforcement," the appeal says.

According to the CDP, emigrant number two million is expected to leave Bulgaria in early 2013, and the country's population is to drop to the critical minimum of 5 million by 2050.

In a bid to highlight the lack of an adequate policy for improving the disastrous migration balance of the country, the CDP sends a copy of the "invitation" to President Rosen Plevneliev, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, and Praliament Chair Tsetska Tsacheva.

Several days ago, 63-year-old Depardieu said he was renouncing his French citizenship to move to Belgium.

The French film legend is seeking Belgian residency to avoid a 75% tax on incomes over EUR 1 million which Socialist President Francois Hollande will apply as of 2013 in a bid to rein in France's debt crisis.