France’s President Emmanuel Macron, in a move that can only be described as the political equivalent of throwing stale croissants at a Netflix exec, has decided to make Emily in Paris his latest national cause. Having lost his majority in the French parliament and with his approval ratings dropping faster than you can say Liberté, Egalité, Croque-Monsieur, Macron is now focused on what truly matters: stopping Emily from traipsing off to Rome.

At a recent press conference—or was it a Netflix pitch meeting?—he exclaimed, “We are going to fight. And we are going to ask them to stay in Paris! Emily in Paris in Rome… it doesn’t make sense.” Now, in Macron’s defense, it’s clear that losing Emily in Paris is a more existential threat to France than inflation, protests, or minor things like labor reform. I mean, how can Paris compete if the show’s star is suddenly eating gelato by the Trevi Fountain instead of struggling with the French word for Wi-Fi?

You can almost hear the collective sighs from the French tourism board. They’ve already lost Emily’s constant Instagrammable shots of croissants and berets, and now she’s being whisked away to the land of espresso and Vespa rides? Sacrilege! Macron’s logic, however, is impeccable: after decades of careful French brand-building (you know, champagne, Chanel, and indifferent waiters), Paris needs Emily to maintain its international relevance. Apparently, the Louvre and Eiffel Tower just aren’t pulling their weight anymore.

Emily, by the way, is from Chicago…

But seriously, Macron’s rant is a delightful metaphor for his current political state. Like a man who’s misplaced his keys but insists the real problem is the neighbor’s louder car, Macron is focusing on battles he can (theoretically) win. Reforming pensions? Nah. Convincing Netflix to keep a rom-com in France? Now that’s worth presidential energy.

Ultimately, Macron’s attempt to keep Emily in Paris feels a lot like Paris itself—charming, slightly absurd, and entirely over the top. But hey, if it takes a fictional marketing exec to reignite the French spirit, maybe we should all get behind him. Vive la résistance! Or, as Emily might say, “C’est compliqué.”

Check out my Reelay List for Emily (in Paris!) fans here.