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Former US president Barack Obama has begun settling into his civilian life, but many arent ready to let him go. The pangs of longing arent exclusive to Americans. In fact, avid Obama fans are calling for him to run for president againin France.

A French petition pleading for Obama to run for the French presidency, because he has the best CV in the world for the job, has amassed over 40,000 signatures, which is not restricted to French citizens. The campaign, named Obama 2017, has blanketed Paris with red-white-and-blue posters showing Obamas portrait and the French translation of his famous motto, Oui on peut (Yes, we can). The campaigners, who have so far remained anonymous, hope to amass one million signatures by March 15 (its unclear why they are aiming for one million).

Spearheading the operation is a group of disenfranchised voters in Paris unhappy with the current slate which includes far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. While Obama cant actually run to be Frances next presidentcandidates must be Frenchthe organizers picked him for the campaign because 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, the petition notes.

For Obama to get on the ballot he needs not just citizenship, but signatures from 500 mayors by March 17 (there are more than 35,000 mayors across France). In 2012, Le Pen of the Front National faced an uphill battle to get the enough signatures by the deadline.

Le Pen appears to be a much stronger candidate this year; she continues to have a strong lead in the polls, ahead of independent centrist Emmanuel Macron and the center-right candidate Franois Fillon, who are second and third, respectively. The candidates have been described as lackluster against Le Pen; Macrons attempts to build support from the middle ground has drawn ire from the right and left, while a financial scandal has sunk Fillon in the polls. The French socialists have failed to inspire much support, with their candidate Benoit Hamon in fourth place in every major poll.

Le Pen, whose popular anti-immigration rhetoric aligns with Trumps rise in the US, is expected to make it to the final round of voting, but tactical voting may prevent her from winning. The presidential election consists of two rounds; if a candidate fails to win more than 50% of the vote, then the two leading candidates face off in a second round.

In 2002, Le Pens father lost the presidential election in the second round to his opponent Jacques Chiracwith a remarkable margin of 82% to 18%after the left reluctantly sided with Chirac under the slogan vote for a crook, not for a fascist. A point the Obama 2017 initiative picks up on, saying it should be possible for France to vote for a president and not against a candidate.

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There's a petition to elect Barack Obama president of France - Quartz