'Emily in Paris' Emmanuel Macron has some strong opinions about moving to Rome CNN

When Netflix's hit show “Emily in Paris” revealed at the end of its fourth season that its main character was moving to Rome, it surprised many viewers. Now, French President Emmanuel Macron has waded into the conversation and said the country will “fight hard” to stop the show moving to the Italian capital.

“We're going to tell them to be in Paris, 'Emile in Paris' in Rome,” she told Variety in an interview published Wednesday.

The show centers around 20-something American marketing executive Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, who moves from Chicago to Paris for a job and enjoys good life In the capital of France. It often ranks among Netflix's most-watched shows, and when the streaming giant renewed it for a fifth season, creator Darren Starr said that Emily will now “have a presence in Rome.”

Macron has long been associated with the event. His wife, Brigitte, made a cameo in the fourth season when Emily saw him in a cafe and asked for a selfie. And in the show's fictional universe, Brigitte shared one of Emily's social media posts in season one that revealed in shock that the French word for vagina — le vagin — is masculine.

“I was very proud, and she was very happy to do it,” Macron said of his wife's cameo. “It was only a few minutes, but I think it was a very good moment for him. I think it's good for France's image. 'Emily in Paris' is very positive in terms of attractiveness for the country. For my own business, it's a great venture.”

While the show has drawn criticism from some French viewers for leaning into Parisian clichés and avoiding issues such as homelessness in the city, it has boosted tourism in the country's capital, a survey conducted by France's National Film Center found in January.

About a tenth of tourists decided to visit France after watching a specific movie or series, and in 38% of cases, it was “Emile in Paris” that provided the inspiration for a French vacation, the study found.

But despite his wife's association with the show and its impact on tourism, Macron himself has no plans to make a cameo appearance.

“I'm less attractive than Brigitte,” he told Variety.