# Do other nations have a citizenship requirement for leadership? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336 "2011-02-14T18:38:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/21 "2011-02-15T00:02:13Z")
In Brazil: > [@](#): > > Paragraph 2. The law may not establish any distinction between born and naturalized Brazilians, except in the cases stated in this Constitution. > > Paragraph 3. The following offices are exclusive for born Brazilians: > I - those of President and Vice-President of the Republic; > II - that of President of the Chamber of Deputies; > III - that of President of the Federal Senate; > IV - that of Justice of the Supreme Federal Court; > V - those of the diplomatic career; > VI - that of officer of the Armed Forces. > VII - Minister of Defense. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/22 "2011-02-15T00:17:37Z")
To be head of state of Australia you cannot be Australian, as that post is currently reserved for the English Monarch. Well, strictly speaking I suppose it is remotely possible for an Australian to become English Monarch due to a rather long bad luck streak in the line of inheritance for the throne, but in practical terms they will always be English. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/23 "2011-02-15T00:43:46Z")
Mexico has a similar set of limited offices as Brazil, and used to be even stricter: until 1993 the Presidency and those in the immediate line of succession had to have _both_ parents be also born citizens. Haiti had a requirement that not only you were a citizen, but that you never held another citizenship. In the case of a lot of the Central American countries there is the fact of a real history of attempts to “plant” outsiders as rulers (e.g. Maximillian) and of filibusteers and carpetbaggers attempting takeovers (e.g. Walker), informing their framers’ intentions. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/24 "2011-02-15T00:53:54Z")
The Dutch legal situation is complicated. I’ll try to summarize: Citizens are allowed to vote at the age of 18 for the house of commons. This includes inhabitants of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba. Also, citizens of Curaçao, Aruba and St Maarten who have the Dutch nationality and have lived for 10+ years in the Netherlands. For provincial elections, any “Netherlander” of 18 years or older living in the province is allowed the vote. [What “Netherlander” means is obscure to me, but I assume naturalization is good enough]. Municipal elections: “Netherlanders” [again] over the age of 18, living in the municipality + EU citizens living there + anyone over 18 who’s been living there for 5+ years. [Water boards](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_board_%28The_Netherlands%29) (one of the first real democratic systems in western Europe): anyone over 18 living in the area. As for passive rights [that is, being electable]: Both houses of parliament and provincial states: “Netherlanders” over 18. Municipalities: “Netherlanders” + EU citizens + anyone living in the country for 5+ years, who’s over 18 living in the area. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/25 "2011-02-15T01:03:20Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > To be head of state of Australia you cannot be Australian, as that post is currently reserved for the English Monarch. > > Well, strictly speaking I suppose it is remotely possible for an Australian to become English Monarch due to a rather long bad luck streak in the line of inheritance for the throne, but in practical terms they will always be English. Since you’re being technical, there’s a few points to consider about your assertion. One, there is no English Monarch any more. Elizabeth II’s current British title is “Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.” Secondly, there are plenty of non-UK citizens in line for the Throne. The Norwegian Royal Family, for instance, are in the line of succession. So, if something untimely should happen to the first 60-odd people on the list, Harald V can finally reunite the Danelaw with Norway… ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/26 "2011-02-15T02:45:18Z")
In Japan you cannot hold a position of power in the public service over Japanese citizens unless you yourself are a Japanese citizen. This means, for example, that you can’t be chief janitor in a public hospital unless you are a Japanese citizen. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/27 "2011-02-15T04:21:35Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > To be head of state of Australia you cannot be Australian, as that post is currently reserved for the English Monarch. > > Well, strictly speaking I suppose it is remotely possible for an Australian to become English Monarch due to a rather long bad luck streak in the line of inheritance for the throne, but in practical terms they will always be English. > [@Cerowyn](#): > > Since you’re being technical, there’s a few points to consider about your assertion. One, there is no English Monarch any more. Elizabeth II’s current British title is “Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.” > > Secondly, there are plenty of non-UK citizens in line for the Throne. The Norwegian Royal Family, for instance, are in the line of succession. So, if something untimely should happen to the first 60-odd people on the list, Harald V can finally reunite the Danelaw with Norway… Well I did mean that the Monarch is going to be English, rather that the Monarch of England. I don’t expect an heir is much more likely to be allowed to be born in Northern Ireland than in Norway or Australia. And as for Norway, well, yes, but the OP was about whether the head of state needed to be born in the country in question, which in my case was Australia. That ours could be born in Norway is just as bad as in England. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/28 "2011-02-15T04:58:09Z")
Thailand does. The current prime minister, although Thai from a fairly high-powered family, was born in Newcastle, England, and the opposition is now trying to make a big deal out of that. (He was also educated at Eton and Oxford.) It’s a bit convoluted, but I think they’re trying to claim he’s British because he never formally renounced British citizenship – which neither he nor anyone else in his family ever claimed – upon becoming an adult. You also can’t be a member of parliament without at least a bachelor’s degree. Used to be that new Thai citizens were not allowed to vote. I believe they can now after five years. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/29 "2011-02-15T05:08:38Z")
I actually did mean (but stupidly forgot to explain) “native-born”, but feel free to keep discussing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/30 "2011-02-15T06:56:44Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > For what it’s worth, the most prominent statesman in 20th century Ireland was Eamon de Valera, who was born in New York City. > > So, you certainly don’t have to be a native-born cititzen to be Prime Minister of Ireland. De Valera was born to an Irish mother and was living in Ireland at the time of independence. Under the Constitution proclaimed on Irish independence, that was enough to make him an Irish citizen on the same terms as someone born on Irish soil. BTW, the US constitutional term is “natural born”, not “native born”. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/31 "2011-02-15T07:52:24Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > In Japan you cannot hold a position of power in the public service over Japanese citizens unless you yourself are a Japanese citizen. This means, for example, that you can’t be chief janitor in a public hospital unless you are a Japanese citizen. Or even a volunteer fireman. There is at least one naturalized Japanese citizen who is a politician. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/32 "2011-02-15T08:21:59Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Well I did mean that the Monarch is going to be English, rather that the Monarch of England. I don’t expect an heir is much more likely to be allowed to be born in Northern Ireland than in Norway or Australia. > > And as for Norway, well, yes, but the OP was about whether the head of state needed to be born in the country in question, which in my case was Australia. That ours could be born in Norway is just as bad as in England. Well seeing as we are being technical, the nationality “English” doesn’t exist in any meaningful way, so no requirement/expectation of the Monarch being English exists in any meaningful way either. Now if you were talking about the Monarch being British … ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/33 "2011-02-15T09:24:11Z")
Someone born in England is no longer English? I wasn’t saying there’s a (formal) requirement that the Monarch be English, but that nevertheless things will be arranged so that they will be, if at all possible. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/34 "2011-02-15T10:20:42Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Someone born in England is no longer English? > > I wasn’t saying there’s a (formal) requirement that the Monarch be English, but that nevertheless things will be arranged so that they will be, if at all possible. “English” is a matter of identity and not nationality. It hasn’t existed as a nationality for a long time. We’re all Brits, no matter how much certain Welsh and Scots want to complain. Northern Ireland is a bit more complex, they can be Irish if they want to be. To put it in a simple fashion, good luck finding a passport that says “Nationality: English” in it. ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/35 "2011-02-15T12:43:50Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > In the UK an MP can be citizen of one of the Commonwealth countries, or of the Republic of Ireland, in addition to the obvious. However, there is no **legal** requirement that the PM be an MP. Nor do they have to be a member of the House of Lords. (Sir Alec Douglas-Home holds the double distinction of being the last PM to be a member of the House of Lords, and the last PM to not be a member of either house of Parliament.) [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom) asserts that “It is a constitutional convention that only a Privy Counsellor can be appointed Prime Minister.” I think this is overstating the case somewhat, since the fact that someone wasn’t a PC wouldn’t operate to prevent them being offered the office of PM; they’d just be appointed to both. Membership of the Privy Council has an indirect relevancy to the legal qualifications to become Prime Minister, though; the _Act of Settlement 1700_ restricts membership to Commonwealth citizens, and citizens of the Republic of Ireland. Although there’s no formal requirement for a Prime Minister to be a member of the Privy Council, it’s very hard to see how the job could be done without being one. The same restriction in the _Act of Settlement_ also applies to someone enjoying "any Office or Place of Trust either Civill or Military. I have no idea whether this would apply to a Minister of the Crown; if it does, then that’s the closest thing to a legal qualification for the office of PM that we currently have. Still, it’s a pretty wide restriction! Unfortunately the language of the _Act of Settlement_ is very confusing, because of the way it was “repealed” by the _British Nationality Act 1948_; so the former Act still has on the face of it a restriction against those who are not natural-born British subjects, even though this restriction cannot possibly apply to anyone. > [@](#): > > I’m unaware of any further restrictions on becoming Prime Minister - I suspect there are none. There’s a possible additional restriction. Section 18 of the _Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829_ (commonly known as the _Catholic Emancipation Act_) is still in force: > [@](#): > > It shall not be lawful for any person professing the Roman Catholic religion directly or indirectly to advise his Majesty, or any person or persons holding or exercising the office of guardians of the United Kingdom, or of regent of the United Kingdom, under whatever name, style, or title such office may be constituted, [or the lord lieutenant of Ireland], touching or concerning the appointment to or disposal of any office or preferment in the [Church of England], or in the Church of Scotland; and if any such person shall offend in the premises he shall, being thereof convicted by due course of law, be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor, and disabled for ever from holding any office, civil or military, under the Crown. This is relevant because the prime minister is involved in the appointment of the Church of England’s bishops and archbishops. Should the situation arise, though, it would presumably be no great difficulty to have (say) the Home Secretary take over the role, as I don’t think the prime minister’s involvement in these appointments has any statutory basis. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/36 "2011-02-15T12:51:03Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > I actually did mean (but stupidly forgot to explain) “native-born”, but feel free to keep discussing. 🙂 I think most of us understood it. As **ruadh** pointed out, the US says “natural-born”. Other nations make it clearer by using the term such as, for example, “Mexican _by birth_”, to make clear the meaning is you were _born with_ the citizenship/nationality. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/37 "2011-02-15T17:45:55Z")
I just came across an [obituary](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/world/asia/15iloilo.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries) of the president of Fiji, which had this relevant info: > [@](#): > > In 1999, Mahendra Chaudhry, leader of the Fiji Labor Party, became the first person of Indian descent to be elected Fiji’s prime minister. > > That helped set off a dramatic series of events, beginning with the armed seizure of Parliament in May 2000 by Fijian nationalists demanding new laws to curb the influence of politicians of Indian descent. The rebels held the prime minister and his cabinet for 56 days. After the hostages were freed, Ratu Iloilo was appointed president by the Great Council of Chiefs, composed of traditional elders. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/38 "2011-02-15T19:18:56Z")
But Indo-Fijians are native-born citizens of Fiji. What they are is an ethnic minority in the country. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > More recently, the former Leader of the Opposition, Stephane Dion, had dual French and Canadian citizenship, but surrendered his French citizenship after it became an issue. > > Of course, there is no requirement that either Her Majesty nor the Governor General hold Canadian citiznship. Our previous GovGen held dual citizenship (Canadian and Haitian) but surrendered her Haitian citiznship. As far as I know Michaëlle Jean had French citizenship, obtained through her husband. I don’t remember if she actually had Haitian citizenship as well. And it should be mentioned that both her and Dion didn’t need to renounce their other citizenships to hold their positions. They just did because some people made an issue of it. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/39 "2011-02-15T19:59:32Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > But Indo-Fijians are native-born citizens of Fiji. What they are is an ethnic minority in the country. Indeed. But the text of the OP was: > [@](#): > > If I had my little American heart set on being the Prime Minister of, say, France, could I move over there and use my fictional millions to do it? This question is inspired by the insipid birther movement, incidentally. So it’s relevant to note that in some countries they wouldn’t even be thrilled about your children or grandchildren becoming a leader, let alone you. ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336/40 "2011-02-15T22:42:25Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > So it’s relevant to note that in some countries they wouldn’t even be thrilled about your children or grandchildren becoming a leader, let alone you. Historically the Indian population of South Africa encountered similar problems. I think this might apply regarding ethnic Russians in one or more of the three Baltic republics, as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-nations-have-a-citizenship-requirement-for-leadership/571336.md?page=3)