PARIS, France: The government, on December 31, defended the granting of citizenship to actor George Clooney, his wife Amal, and their twins Ella and Alexander, over the weekend.

The French government defended the process, saying, "They contribute, through their distinguished actions, to France's international influence and cultural outreach," after a junior minister questioned the decision.

The Clooneys' naturalizations were announced last weekend in the Journal Officiel, where French government decrees are published.

However, expressing her misgivings, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a junior minister at the Interior Ministry, believed that some of the Clooneys' new French compatriots might think the star couple had been granted special treatment. The actor speaks only what he himself says is "horrible, horrible" French.

"The message being sent is not good," Vedrenne said in an interview with broadcaster France Info. "There is an issue of fairness that, in my eyes, is absolutely essential."

The couple purchased an estate in France in 2021, and Clooney has said that it's their primary residence.

Non-French residents of France have multiple options for naturalization. It wasn't clear whether the 64-year-old actor retained his American citizenship. His 47-year-old wife was born in Lebanon and raised in the U.K and naturalized by France under her maiden name, Amal Alamuddin. The eight-year-old twins were born in London.

The Foreign Ministry said the Clooneys qualified for citizenship under a French law that allows the naturalization of foreign nationals who enhance France's international influence and economic interests. It said France's film industry would benefit from George Clooney's global stature as a movie star. It noted that Amal Clooney, a lawyer, regularly works with academic institutions and international organizations in France.

The ministry said the couple maintained strong personal, professional, and family ties with France. Like many French citizens, the ministry was pleased to welcome Georges and Amal Clooney into the national community, using the French form of the actor's first name.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who signed the naturalization decree, defended the decision, saying it represented a significant opportunity for the country.

In recent media interviews while promoting Jay Kelly, Clooney said he was teaching himself French using a language-learning app, and noted that his wife and children already speak the language fluently. He joked to French broadcaster Canal+ that they sometimes speak French in front of him so they can say unkind things about him without him understanding.

French media have reported that the Clooneys live part-time in an 18th-century villa near the town of Brignoles in southern France, where they can maintain a lower profile and where their children are protected from unauthorized photographs under French privacy laws.

In an interview with Esquire in October, Clooney said he had been concerned about raising his children in Los Angeles and within Hollywood culture. He said he did not want them to worry about paparazzi or to be compared with other celebrities' children, adding that growing up away from the spotlight in France had given them a better life.