[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Stanley Johnson, father of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has become a French citizen. Unlike his son, a prominent Brexit (the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union) supporter, he has expressed his intention to "remain European."
On the 19th (local time), France's AFP news agency, citing sources from the local Ministry of Justice, reported that Stanley Johnson obtained French citizenship last year after applying for it.
Johnson, who once worked at the European Union (EU) Commission in Brussels, initially opposed Brexit but supported the withdrawal project after the 2016 referendum.
Johnson led the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum and, after becoming Prime Minister, ultimately carried out Brexit on January 31 of last year.
Stanley Johnson's mother, and Boris Johnson's grandmother, was French, and he is also known to speak French very fluently.
At 81 years old, Stanley Johnson submitted his citizenship application to the French consulate in London last November, and the six-month period during which the Ministry of Justice could raise objections will expire on the 25th.
Authorities explained, "Based on the facts stated in the application, Stanley Johnson acquired French nationality on the 18th without the Minister of Justice's refusal," adding, "This decision applies only to Stanley Johnson and does not extend to his children."
According to the latest data from Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, about 3,100 British citizens acquired French nationality in 2020.
Meanwhile, Stanley Johnson has often been criticized for careless remarks and behavior. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was in the public eye for violating government guidelines by traveling abroad and not wearing a mask. His ex-wife (Boris Johnson's mother) recently told a biographer that Stanley Johnson had assaulted her multiple times, once even breaking her nose. Last year, two Conservative Party MPs and journalists accused him of groping or inappropriate touching and filed complaints against him.
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