UPDATED 3:19 AM EST, January 7, 2013
High French taxes imposed by the country's Socialist government have triggered a wave of capital and demographic flight from the country, with the wealthy leveraging their financial resources to remove themselves and their wealth. ABC News conveys the latest departure, which sees French actor Gerard Depardieu threatening to permanently abandon France for Russia. Depardieu arrived in the Russian city of Salansk on Sunday within days of Russian president Vladimir Putin signing a decree granting him citizenship in the country. The actor was reportedly greeted on the tarmac by dancing, costumed women and served traditional Russian pancakes.
