A petition aimed at making a liberal icon the next president of France is taking off. Dissatisfied with the choices on offer, fans of a much-loved statesman are insisting he step in.
There's just one problem; the statesman in question is an American: former U.S. President Barack Obama.
The petition had garnered almost 44,000 signatures as of Wednesday morning.
"The French are ready to make radical choices," the petition website states, "That's lucky because we have a radical idea to propose to them."
"We think it is time to move to the 6th Republic to get France out of its lethargy.
"To launch this 6th Republic, we wish to strike a blow by electing a foreign President at the head of our beautiful country.
"Barack Obama has completed his second term as President of the United States on January 21, why not hire him as President for France?"
Organizers aim to collect one million signatures before March 15.
There's just one problem. Although he is out of a job and organizers say Obama has "the best CV in the world for the job," the former U.S. leader is not a French citizen—a requirement for presidential candidates.
Still, it's 2017. Who knows what could happen next… (Disclaimer: this is definitely not going to happen.)
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Josh is a staff writer covering Europe, including politics, policy, immigration and more.
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