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In France the head of state only need the French citizenship, wherever he is born. That's why Eva Joly, Norwegian born and French citizen after a wedding, had the right to run for the presidency in 2012. But Paul Deschanel (born in Belgium because his parents were exiled by Napoleon 3), all presidents were born in France.
Even if it's allowed, it would be harder for a foreign born to become president. Eva Joly northern accent didn't help her for example.
To those who live in countries where you have to be a native-born citizen to be the head of state - what's the reasoning behind that law? Thinking about it from a British perspective, if somebody non-native born didn't seem British enough for the electorate to be able to relate to them or trust them to have the country's best interests at heart then that person just wouldn't win an election, and no party would risk putting that person forward.
If we had a law saying that you had to be a native-born citizen to be prime minister then all I can imagine it doing is look like an anachronism when, say, somebody born in Ireland and who came here at age one and who had gone native in every possible way was banned from being PM on a technicality.
Feels like just an anachronism for the reasons you said. I think the origonal purpose was as an extra safeguard — the president was not directly elected and the writers were unsure of how much to trust the electorate. Another possibilty I found mentioned is that it was to prevent a European aristocrat from coming to power through bribery.
At this point, all it does is create confusion about candidates who were born out of the country but had citizen parents. And the very strange Obama birther controversy. Even if he were born out of the country, shouldn't he count as a natural born citizen since his mother was a citizen?
Sir John A McDonald, the first Canadian Prime Minister, was born in Scotland, and he moved to Canada as a lad.
Under the Canadian system, the head of State is the Queen of Canada, who at this time is Elizabeth the Second. She is also the Queen of The United Kingdom. One person, with two titles, and two citizenships, as well.
When the Queen of Canada is not actually In Canada, her direct representative is the Governor General of Canada, who is selected by the Prime Minister, in consultation with the Queen. Canada has had a number of Governor Generals who were born outside of Canada, over the years.
In the modern era, Adrienne Clarkson was born in Hong Kong, and Michelle Jean was born in Haiti. Both came to Canada as children, with their Parents, as Immigrants. Both were appointed as Governor General for a five year term. It is traditional that the GG position alternates from a Francophone to a Anglophone person, but they must be fluently bi-lingual .
In order to be elected as the Canadian Prime Minister, a person must be a Canadian Citizen, but they do not have to have been BORN in Canada. We don't have any second class citizens here. And that person must be directly elected by the voters in a Parliamentary district, during a general election. The current Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, represents the district of Calgary Centre, in Parliament.
Jim B.
Toronto.
So if you consider that Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs are the "heads of state" of Canada and can be the only people aspiring to that title, then in Canada it's basically illegal or at least impossible for a person BORN IN THE COUNTRY to become head of state.
In Brazil, the constitution clearly states that only brazilian-born people is able to become president. There are other functions reserved only to brazilian-born people, such as head of the two congress houses, head of the Supreme Court and ministre of defence.
Sir John A McDonald, the first Canadian Prime Minister, was born in Scotland, and he moved to Canada as a lad.
Under the Canadian system, the head of State is the Queen of Canada, who at this time is Elizabeth the Second. She is also the Queen of The United Kingdom. One person, with two titles, and two citizenships, as well.
When the Queen of Canada is not actually In Canada, her direct representative is the Governor General of Canada, who is selected by the Prime Minister, in consultation with the Queen. Canada has had a number of Governor Generals who were born outside of Canada, over the years.
In the modern era, Adrienne Clarkson was born in Hong Kong, and Michelle Jean was born in Haiti. Both came to Canada as children, with their Parents, as Immigrants. Both were appointed as Governor General for a five year term. It is traditional that the GG position alternates from a Francophone to a Anglophone person, but they must be fluently bi-lingual .
In order to be elected as the Canadian Prime Minister, a person must be a Canadian Citizen, but they do not have to have been BORN in Canada. We don't have any second class citizens here. And that person must be directly elected by the voters in a Parliamentary district, during a general election. The current Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, represents the district of Calgary Centre, in Parliament.
Jim B.
Toronto.
A question about Canadian politics.
Why did Michelle Jean not fire Harper as PM when he did not have the confidence of the House and ask the opposition parties if they could form a government ?
A question about Canadian politics.
Why did Michelle Jean not fire Harper as PM when he did not have the confidence of the House and ask the opposition parties if they could form a government ?
The fact that she did not actually shows where the real power lies in Canada, and that the GG's position is a purely symbolic one.
One thing I was interested in when I asked the question was to see if the countries requiring natural born citizens differed from those that didn't in some way.
I had expected that maybe whether or not birth in the country is seen as important or required, to be its leader, had a connection to something like the immigration history of the countries.
But there seems to be Old World and New World (countries with a long history of immigrants) examples in both cases.
In the USA, obviously it is very important as it is in the Constitution. But still, some debate (though not much) revolves around the interpretation of it (born in the US, or born to US citizens?). I remember Schwarzenegger trying to get this changed, being Austrian-born. Also this is discussed a bit too in light of Ted Cruz, being Canadian-born, trying to run in the 2016 US election.
How about other countries? How many think it is OK if an immigrant becomes their president (or equivalent)? Is it ever controversial in other countries?
I just wanted to point out that being a natural-born citizen is NOT the requirement in the USA.
To those who live in countries where you have to be a native-born citizen to be the head of state - what's the reasoning behind that law? Thinking about it from a British perspective, if somebody non-native born didn't seem British enough for the electorate to be able to relate to them or trust them to have the country's best interests at heart then that person just wouldn't win an election, and no party would risk putting that person forward.
If we had a law saying that you had to be a native-born citizen to be prime minister then all I can imagine it doing is look like an anachronism when, say, somebody born in Ireland and who came here at age one and who had gone native in every possible way was banned from being PM on a technicality.
I understand the reasoning. However, I cannot explain it.
We are a multi-national family. I have thought a lot about these things. There is some sort of connection to the place of your birth. Maybe primal. But one has an undying loyalty and connection to their birth home. Even if you are born in Texas in the USA, and spend your whole life in California, you will always consider Texas your home.
I do not care how "American" a foreigner, dual, or naturalized citizen is, I cannot trust them to love America like I do.
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