TORONTO – Historically, relations between France and Italy haven’t always been hunky dory – to put it mildly – and whether it began with Caesar’s beheading of their Gallic Hero Vercingetorix in 49 BC, or with Napoleon’s French Campaign to loot and transport all of Italy’s art masterpieces to Paris, one thing remains clear: the two nations are always up for a good spat, no matter the cause.

In a recent interview with Variety, French President Emmanuel Macron channelled his inner Chieftain by declaring that he will “fight hard” to stop the very popular Netflix Series Emily in Paris from permanently moving to Rome. After the fourth season, the streaming giant announced that Emily would be moving to Rome for the next season, which by the sound of it sent ripples through the Elysees Palace in Paris.

One could only imagine the state of emergency his Council of Ministers might have felt as the President of the French Republic tabled the matter. Eventually, a measured and reasonable Italian response arrived from Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri: “Dear Emmanuel Macron don’t worry, Emily is doing very well in Rome. And then you can’t control the heart, let’s let her choose”.

For readers who don’t follow the show, Emily in Paris tracks the adventures of a twenty something Marketing Executive from Chicago who moves to Paris and enjoys what the French would call “La Belle Vie”. Or what 4,500 international hotel owners [polled by Travel Agency Expedia] would call – home to the tight-fisted, arrogant and impolite. Expedia surveys have been conducted for years, the abovementioned dating back to 2009.

Yet in 2024, the French are still trying to shed their global reputation as Europe’s crabbiest community. As recently as May, during the lead up to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, The Washington Post ran an article headlined “France tries to shed its rude reputation ahead of the Olympics”. Paris even created a “hospitality charter” as part of a plan to train its tourism sector on how to receive internationals.

Small business owners at newspaper kiosks, tobacco shops and boulangeries were trained by the city to help sharpen their interplay with tourists. Considering all this, it should be no surprise to President Macron that Emily’s Creators booked a high speed TGV to Rome.

Of course, at the heart of Macron’s decree to “fight” for Emily, is economics. France’s National Film Center ran a study last January, which found that film and television [based in France] attracted 8.5 million tourists a year. Specifically, the study determined that 38% of that tourist group was linked to the Emily in Paris fanbase.

Differences aside, there is a multitude of reasons to visit the La Belle France, from its many Unesco Heritage sites and stylish port towns to its world-class wines and delectable desserts. France offers many beautiful things, but when Macron insists that, “Emily in Rome doesn’t make sense”, it would do him well to heed the words of the late French literary giant Jean d’Ormesson.

When once asked on what makes him happiest in life, d’Ormesson responded: “On Friday evenings, I used to drive all night to Italy. I would get to Portofino at dawn, then I would stay in Rome until Sunday evening. Then I would go back to France to work on Monday morning. I was exhausted, but very happy”. Perhaps it’s Emily’s turn to be happy too.

Watch Emily in Paris on Netflix

Images courtesy of Netflix    

Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix