George Clooney's €7,000,000 French Investment Suddenly Under Linguistic Threat 0 9

Junior Minister in the Ministry of the Interior, Marie-Pierre Vedren, criticized the decision to grant American actor George Clooney and his family French citizenship. According to her, this is a matter of double standards.

According to the rules that were in effect until the beginning of this year, a foreigner who owned French property and made a significant contribution to the spread of France's influence or its economic prosperity could obtain French citizenship at the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

However, new rules came into effect on January 1, under which a foreign applicant must prove that their level of French would allow them to study at a university. Additionally, it is necessary to pass an exam on knowledge of the state structure.

The 64-year-old Oscar winner admits that his French is quite weak. The decision made in the last days of 2025 allowed him to become a citizen of France – under the new conditions, this would have been impossible. His wife, lawyer and activist Amal Clooney, born in Beirut, has impeccable French.

In 2021, the actor purchased a vineyard estate in Provence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the process of reviewing the Clooney family's request was thorough and included security checks and interviews. Clooney's contribution to promoting France's influence was also noted.

According to the newspaper Le Parisien, the purchase price was around €7 million.

Located in the Var region, the extensive Canadel estate covers 172 hectares. In addition to the main residence, it features vineyards, a swimming pool, and olive groves. Furthermore, about half an hour's drive away is Château Miraval, a estate in Provence co-owned by Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and the Perrin winemaking family, known as Château de Beaucastel.

There were no indications that the Clooneys intended to start a wine project in Canadel. However, their arrival underscores how desirable this rosé wine center has become for wealthy real estate buyers.

In recent years, vineyards in Provence have been in high demand. Buyers range from those seeking a purely "lifestyle" investment, where vineyard work does not necessarily need to be profitable, to investors with more serious wine projects in mind.

An example of the latter is Michel Reybier, owner of Château Cos d'Estournel, who purchased Château La Mascaronne in the Var region last year for an undisclosed sum.