French president Emmanuel Macron and Rome mayor Roberto Gaultieri is feuding over Emily in Paris

WARNING: Contains spoilers

There are many reasons for politicians to be engaged in a little fracas — trade fights, fundamental differences in philosophy and who got the better seat at the FIFA World Cup final.

But the last thing you’d expect to cause an international diplomatic incident at the highest levels is Emily in Paris — although she is known to sow discord wherever she goes.

The Netflix series has provoked a war of words between French president Emmanuel Macron and the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri.

Macron gave an interview to Variety in which he declared he will “fight hard” to keep the Netflix series in the French capital after the most recent season (SPOILER ALERT) ended with the titular character moving to Rome.

“We will ask them to remain in Paris!” Macron said. “Emily in Paris in Rome doesn’t make sense.”

Gualtieri wasn’t having it. He told The Hollywood Reporter Roma, “You really cannot intimidate or interfere with Netflix production plans for the next season of Emily in Paris. It is just not done.”

He also posted on social media, “Dear Emmanuel Macron, don’t worry, Emily is doing very well in Rome. And you can’t control her heart, let’s let her choose.”

Emily may have moved to Rome at the end of fourth season but given the show is called Emily in Paris, it’s not expected to be a permanent decamping, especially as the series’ other characters are still in the City of Lights.

Series creator Darren Star has previously said Emily will have a “presence” in Rome.

Despite scorn from Parisians who have criticised Emily in Paris for its unrealistic depiction of their city and centring a delusional American, the Netflix series has been a boon for tourism.

That Macron gave an interview to an American entertainment publication and chose to make Emily in Paris one of the focuses of a wide-ranging interview is evidence that the series is important to his agenda in selling France and French culture to the world.

His wife, Brigitte, even made a cameo in the fourth season, playing herself. Macron said of Brigitte’s appearance, “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.

“I think it’s good for the image of France. Emily in Paris is super positive in terms of attractiveness for the country. For my own business, it’s a very good initiative.”

When the series debuted in 2020, it was in the middle of the COVID pandemic and the visuals of a pop-coloured Paris drew legions of fans who wished they could travel beyond their own homes and lockdown bubbles.

That first season was sampled by 58 million subscriber households in the first four weeks of release, according to Netflix data. The fourth season, which split its episodes into two parts, attracted 45.1 million views in the same period for its first half.

The series has already been renewed for a fifth instalment.