Michele Bachmann Gains Swiss Citizenship, Can Seek Public Office There

Michele Bachmann announced she has become a citizen of Switzerland this week, making the former Republican presidential hopeful eligible for run for office in the small European nation, according to a Swiss TV report on Tuesday.

In an interview with the Swiss television station, Bachmann said her husband, Marcus Bachmann, was born to Swiss immigrants and said her family has often visited the country. Marcus Bachmann was granted Swiss citizenship on March 19; Michele Bachmann, as his spouse, automatically gained citizenship as well, according to the report.

Congresswoman Bachmann's husband is of Swiss descent, so she has been eligible for dual-citizenship since they got married in 1978, Bachmann spokeswoman Becky Rogness said in a statement. However, recently some of their children wanted to exercise their eligibility for dual citizenship, so they went through the process as a family.

Bachmann, who is running for reelection in the House, offered an exceedingly polite appraisal of the Swiss government after the interviewer asked the congresswoman if she would seek public office in Switzerland. The Tea Partier would be eligible if she moved to the country and meets its residency requirements.

Well, as you can see, there's a lot of competition behind me that I would have to run against, and it'd be very stiff because they're very good.

The Social Democratic Party has governed Switzerland as part of a coalition of four leading political parties since 1959. Bachmann's praise of the parliamentarians is a contrast to the strong statements she made about President Obama throughout her presidential campaign, when she constantly criticized his policies while branding him a socialist.