Ukraine furious over ‘Petra the thief’ character in Netflix hit Emily in Paris

The Netflix series is about the American Emily Collins who moves to Paris to work there. In the new season, during her French lessons, she comes into contact with fellow student Petra from Ukraine.

When they go shopping together outside of class, Petra decides to steal the clothes. She says she has no problem with shoplifting. Petra is also portrayed as someone with a bad taste for fashion and a girl who is constantly afraid of being sent back to her own country.

The stereotyping of Petra has gone completely wrong with many Ukrainians. From influencers to researchers: many are angry about the image of a Ukrainian abroad.

The post below by influencer Eugenia Havrylko is massively shared. In there

Culture Minister Oleksandar Tkachenko even calls the series ‘unacceptable’. Tkachenko said on his Telegram channel that the series portrays his people as “thieves who want everything for free.”

He calls the image that is portrayed, according to Tkachenko, very insulting. He has therefore complained to Netflix, which produces the series.

‘Defending one’s own reputation’

If a Dutchman is portrayed as a drug lord in a series, you will not soon hear a minister making a fuss about it. But things are different in a country like Ukraine, says correspondent Eva Hartog.

Hartog: ”In former Soviet states such as Ukraine, these kinds of issues are tackled more quickly at a high diplomatic level. The authorities see it as their duty to defend the country’s reputation, even if – as in this case – it involves relatively minor things.”

According to Hartog, this is because the theme of ‘identity’ is sensitive in these countries. Hartog: ”They want to shake off a certain stigma. In films and series, the inhabitants of certain Eastern Bloc countries are often the criminals or the prostitutes. Ukraine’s criticism is that such a stereotype is super outdated.”

It is also what the culture minister now repeats: “Is this the way you still look at us?”

Tensions with Russia

What makes the situation for Ukraine extra sensitive is the current situation with Russia, which threatens a possible attack.

Hartog: ”Ukraine really wants to profile itself as a European country and then it is not nice if you are almost looked down on in this way, as if Ukraine does not belong to it. It touches a nerve here.”

Netflix is ​​also said to have responded to the complaint. According to Tkachenko, they thanked him for his feedback and want to stay in close contact to avoid future cases of stereotyping in the show. Netflix has no plans to remove the Petra broadcasts.

The French are also angry

Not only Ukraine has complained about the American series. Emily in Paris has been criticized before because French people are often portrayed in a very stereotypical way. In the series they are often rude people, who also often cheat on their partner.