Barack Obama For French President? He Has The Best Resume, Say Some Voters

Barack Obama is only a month into his retirement from what was possibly the world's most stressful job. But some voters in France want the former US President to run for office - in France. Called "Obama17," the campaign's posters have sprung up across Paris, urging people to visit a website and sign a petition to persuade him to run. The goal is to get 1 million people to sign the petition by March 15. Over 27,000 people are reported to have already signed it. The guerrilla campaign's slogan? "Oui on peut," which is French for "Yes we can." Sound familiar?

@BarackObama @MichelleObama You see ? I am not the only one who invites you to save our country ! #yesyoucan #Obama2017 pic.twitter.com/TqclztLvWq

— Alexandra Metral (@Alexandrametral) February 22, 2017

So, why the former US President for the top job in France?

"Barack Obama has completed his second term as President of the United States," the site reads. "Why not hire him as president of France? ... (He) has the best resume in the world for the job."

Fair point.

There's only one problem: Obama is not a French citizen and therefore cannot actually run (not that we're saying he would be even remotely interested).

Apres tout, s'il est disponible... #Obama2017 #OuiOnPeut @BarackObama https://t.co/mCO0xlFpN5 pic.twitter.com/a2wjNkKjYI

— Jean-Xavier Franco (@jxfranco) February 22, 2017

"It's definitely a joke," the co-creator of the site tells NPR. "But it could make people think a little bit about what we could do differently in French politics... the idea was to make people wake up."

The site explains: "At a time when France is about to vote massively for the extreme right, we can still give a lesson of democracy to the planet by electing a French president, a foreigner."

#Obama2017 #ouionpeut #Presidentielle2017 #paris pic.twitter.com/6I74x2KTif

— Laurent YoungStork (@LC_Youngstork) February 23, 2017

France goes to the polls on April 23 in the first round of the presidential election. If no candidate wins at least 50 per cent of the vote, the top two candidates go forward to a second round on May 7. Whoever wins that round is elected president.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right, nationalist, anti-immigration Front National party is tipped to win the first round. However, analysts say she is unlikely to win the second round of voting, as mainstream parties are expected to work together to defeat her.

And, in case you were still wondering, it doesn't seem like Obama has a much better chance of winning the French presidency either!