Could Sarkozy be the next French tax refugee?

London’s Evening Standard suggests the former French president may be considering pulling a Depardieu to escape high taxes and legal troubles: If the move goes ahead, the former French president could escape a planned top tax rate of 75 per cent in his home country. He and wife Carla Bruni would be likely to settle ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images
MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images
MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images

London's Evening Standard suggests the former French president may be considering pulling a Depardieu to escape high taxes and legal troubles:

London’s Evening Standard suggests the former French president may be considering pulling a Depardieu to escape high taxes and legal troubles:

If the move goes ahead, the former French president could escape a planned top tax rate of 75 per cent in his home country.

He and wife Carla Bruni would be likely to settle in an affluent area such as South Kensington, and would become the most high-profile Gallic celebrity couple in the capital.

Mr Sarkozy is under investigation for corruption in France and if he does cross the Channel there will be outrage.

Details of the planned move were uncovered in a raid by fraud police on the Sarkozys’ Paris home last June. Mr Sarkozy lost his immunity from prosecution after being defeated by Socialist rival François Hollande in the May presidential election.

Investigative news website Mediapart claims the “first draft” of Mr Sarkozy’s London project was found by detectives examining his computer files.

I’m skeptical. Sarkozy has given several indications that he does not consider himself done with French politics. It would be hard to keep himself in the game from Kensington.

Via: Zack Beauchamp

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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