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Agence France-Presse

Fed up with their own presidential candidates, a group of French voters has had the audacity to hope that Barack Obama could run for the Elysee Palace.
A French petition calling for the former US president to enter the race for the French presidency has gathered more than 48,000 signatures .
The charismatic Obama’s signature smile has also popped up across Paris in tricolour posters with his iconic 2008 slogan “Yes We Can” translated into French (“Oui on peut”).
“We realised that Obama was available at the end of his second mandate, so we thought, well, why couldn’t he be the next French president?” one organiser said.

Their only problem? He’s not a French citizen.
Some organisers say they hope to garner the support of one million people and have their proposal examined by the National Assembly, opening up the possibility of offering Obama French citizenship.
But another admits it’s “all a big joke.”
“But it also has a meaning, since we notice that voters don’t identify with the current candidates in France, and we can only vote against someone instead of voting for someone,” he added.
Polls currently suggest independent centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen are the current frontrunners.
Both are running campaigns against France’s political establishment at a time when former favourite, rightwing candidate Francois Fillon, is embroiled in a fake jobs scandal.


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Barack Obama

Obama petitioned by almost 50,000 French to become their president

Petitioners tout Obama’s signature slogan ‘Yes We Can’ (Oui on peut)

American Sarah Wachter speaks to The Associated-Press during an interview next to a campaign poster with the picture of former U.S. President Barack Obama reading in French "yes we can" in Paris, Friday, March 3, 2017. An online petition urging Barack Obama to join the French presidential race has attracted more than 45,000 signatures in 10 days. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Two organiser of a online petition known under the pseudonym of Antoine and Antoine wearing masks of former US President Barack Obama as they stick a campaign poster on a wall who reads "yes we can" in Paris. An online petition urging Barack Obama to join the French presidential race has attracted more than 45,000 signatures in 10 days. Photo: AP

Obama petitioned by almost 50,000 French to become their president

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Petitioners tout Obama’s signature slogan ‘Yes We Can’ (Oui on peut)

Petitioners tout Obama’s signature slogan ‘Yes We Can’ (Oui on peut)