Johnny Hallyday to wait a week

27 February 2007

Johnny Hallyday, France’s most famous rock star, made the headlines in France and Switzerland a few months ago after he admitted to wanting to move to Switzerland to pay less taxes.

He now claims he wants to become Belgian for “sentimental reasons,” though most critics think his motives are purely fiscal.

The naturalisation commission, which is composed of ten Flemish-speaking members and seven French-speaking members, said they had too many cases this week to consider Hallyday’s request.

Hallyday is little known to the Flemish population of Belgium and the Flemish members of the commission are unlikely to grant Hallyday any preferential treatment.

Furthermore, Liesbeth Van der Auwera, the deputy who first looked at Hallyday’s file, said the application did not provide much basis for his request to become Belgian.

Johnny Hallyday was born in 1943 in Paris. His mother was French and his father Belgian but he has never lived in Belgium and has spent little time with his father.

Hallyday would automatically loose his French nationality if he were to be naturalised.

[Copyright Expatica 2007]

Subject: Belgian news