French President Emmanuel Macron told Variety: „We will fight hard. And we will ask them to stay in Paris! ‘Emily in Paris’ in Rome doesn’t make sense.”
The statement comes after the producers of the series, aired on Netflix, announced that they will film in Rome for season 5.
The highly successful series "Emily in Paris" - with all its stereotypes about the cultural clashes of a marketing executive from Chicago in France - has brought a lot of tourists to the country, boosted commerce, and increased the number of requests to real estate agencies in the French capital. So now, the move to Rome for season 5 has become a political issue, with President Emmanuel Macron announcing that he will fight hard to keep it in France.
Macron's wife, Brigitte, a 71-year-old former teacher, makes an appearance in the fourth season of the series, where, during a chance encounter in a restaurant, she mentions following Emily on Instagram.
Previously, she was mentioned in the first season sharing Emily's Instagram post about the disappointment that the term "vagi" is masculine. Cast members said Brigitte Macron was "so playful" and was allowed to improvise and wear her own clothes.
Macron told Variety that he was very pleased that his wife appeared in the series. "I was super proud, and she was very happy to do it. It's just a few minutes, but I think it was a very good moment for her."
When asked if he himself was approached to act, he said, "I'm less attractive than Brigitte!"
"I think it's good for France's image. Emily in Paris is positive in terms of the country's appeal," said Brigitte Macron.
"Emily in Paris" has reached season 4 and takes the events to the capital of Italy, where the series' star, played by Lily Collins, seeks new job prospects and relationships.
When the series was renewed for a fifth season last month, its creators said it will unfold between Paris and Rome, with Emily having "a presence" in Italy.
Darren Star, the creator of the series, was quoted as saying that the heroine "was getting very comfortable in Paris. I wanted to throw her into some unknown waters."
"Emily in Paris" has been largely criticized by French critics for portraying Paris in a falsely bright light, but audience ratings have been good.
The series started airing at the peak of the lockdowns during the 2020 pandemic and became the most popular comedy on Netflix that year. It consistently appeared on Netflix's top 10 lists.
"It's a series full of stereotypes, and yet we can't seem to completely hate it," said the French culture magazine Telerama during the series' first broadcast.
A study conducted this year for the National Center of Cinematography and Animation (CNC) in France showed that approximately 38% of tourists mentioned the series as one of the reasons for visiting Paris. The Paris tourism office currently suggests a list of 10 key places to visit, where various scenes were filmed. It is believed that the series has caused a significant increase in online searches regarding moving to Paris.