The series 'Emily in Paris' has pitted two countries against each other.

In "Emily in Paris," directed by Darren Star, it has been streaming on Netflix since 2020. The series, which has been running for 4 seasons, follows the story of American Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, who moves to Paris for work. The show focuses on Emily Cooper's life in Paris and the cultural shock she experiences there. Recently, the fact that the 5th season of the series will be filmed in Rome instead of Paris has caused a dispute between France and Italy.

CONTRIBUTING TO PARIS'S TOURIST ATTRACTION

The French have occasionally criticized the series for portraying Paris in a flawless and unrealistic way, without reflecting the issues of the capital. However, despite all these criticisms, the series is also seen as a reflection of France's soft power in the cultural field and contributes to attracting tourists to Paris due to its wide reach through Netflix.

This situation stems from what is known as the "set-jetting" effect, where people visit the cities where their favorite films and series are set. According to a report published by the National Cinema Center of France on January 18, 80% of foreign tourists visiting France stated that they wanted to visit the country after watching a French series or film. One in ten tourists said they visited France after watching a series or film, while 38% of these tourists expressed that they came to France after watching "Emily in Paris."

THEY DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE IMPACT OF THE SERIES TO ROME

On the other hand, according to data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), France was the country that welcomed the most tourists in the world in 2023, with 100 million visitors, while Italy ranked 4th with 57 million visitors. The Paris government does not want to lose the set-jetting effect created by "Emily in Paris" to its significant competitor in the tourism sector, Rome. This situation has led to a disagreement between French President Emmanuel Macron and Rome's Mayor Roberto Gualtieri regarding the filming location of the series.

FRENCH FIRST LADY GUEST STARS IN THE SERIES

Brigitte Macron, the wife of Macron, guest-starred in the 4th season of "Emily in Paris." In the episode she appeared in, Brigitte Macron meets the series' lead character, Emily Cooper, in a beautiful restaurant in Paris and mentions that she follows Cooper on Instagram. Lily Collins stated in an interview with French Elle magazine that the idea of having a guest appearance came up when the series' director Star met Brigitte Macron at the Élysée Palace in December 2022. Collins expressed that Brigitte Macron is one of the fans of the series and welcomed the reference to her in the first season.

MACRON: WE WILL INTERVENE

In a statement to the U.S.-based Variety magazine, Macron expressed his pleasure at his wife's guest appearance in "Emily in Paris," saying, "I am very proud of this." Macron mentioned that his wife was happy to participate in the series and had a great time during her brief role. When asked if he was considering participating in the series himself, Macron replied that his wife was "more attractive than him." Macron expressed his dissatisfaction with Emily Cooper leaving Paris to go to Rome, the capital of neighboring Italy, at the end of the 4th season, stating, "We will fight hard. We will want them to stay in Paris. It makes no sense for 'Emily in Paris' to be in Rome."

ROME'S MAYOR RESPONDS TO MACRON

President Macron also stated that the series positively contributes to France's appeal. Macron's statement drew a reaction from Rome's Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Gualtieri tagged Macron on X, saying, "Relax, Emmanuel Macron. Emily is doing well in Rome, and hearts are uncontrollable."

Later, speaking to Hollywood Reporter in Rome, Gualtieri stated that Macron could not interfere with Netflix's production plans for the upcoming season, adding: "Doesn't President Macron have more urgent issues to solve? I want to believe that Macron is joking; at least I hope so because he should be aware that a production company like Netflix does not take orders from heads of state and does not make decisions based on political pressure."

Gualtieri argued that Macron has more urgent matters to address, such as the Russia-Ukraine War, instead of this series.