Italy cheers faith and flag in Milan after Paris’ ‘woke’ Olympic spectacle sparked culture clash, experts say

Paris and Milan-Cortina delivered 2 sharply antithetic Olympic spectacles, 1 that ignited culture-war backlash and different that leaned into practice and nationalist pride, a opposition immoderate observers accidental mirrors the governmental paths of Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni.

Olympic opening ceremonies fertile among the world’s most-watched taste broadcasts, making them almighty stages for nations to task however they spot themselves and however they privation to beryllium seen. "Paris tried to reinterpret tradition. Milan showcased tradition," Hugh Dugan, an Olympic Truce advocator and erstwhile U.S. diplomat, told Fox News Digital, framing the opposition betwixt the ceremonies arsenic portion of a broader statement implicit the relation of culture, authorities and individuality successful the Games.

Dugan described the 2024 Paris ceremonial arsenic "a deliberately disruptive, decentralized, municipality spectacle… visually bold but polarizing," built astir a communicative collage of modern France, diverseness and reinterpretation of history. He said choreography and costuming "often carried explicit societal commentary," fueling statement implicit whether parts of the ceremonial were intentionally provocative oregon ideologically driven.

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The Trocadero venue portion the delegations arrive, successful Paris, during the opening ceremonial of the Summer Olympics, July 26, 2024. (Francois-Xavier Marit/Pool Photo via AP)

The 2024 Paris opening ceremony, staged on the Seine, sparked contention aft a conception wide interpreted arsenic referencing Leonardo da Vinci’s "Last Supper" drew disapproval from Christian groups and blimpish commentators earlier organizers clarified the intent and apologized for immoderate offense. 

The infinitesimal became a flashpoint successful France’s wider culture-war statement implicit identity, religion and the meaning of nationalist symbolism. The Conversation reported that the ceremonial triggered a nationalist treatment implicit "woke ideology" and France’s taste direction.

Some of the performers who appeared successful the Last Supper depiction successful the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

Emma Schubart, a probe chap astatine the U.K.-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital, "The Olympics person go a signifier for taste authorities arsenic overmuch arsenic sport."

She continued, "President Emmanuel Macron’s France leaned into progressive, ‘woke’ authorities and post-national symbolism, portion Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Italy emphasized heritage, contented and unapologetic nationalist pride. These aesthetic choices bespeak a widening disagreement implicit Europe’s taste and governmental future."

Flagbearers Arianna Fontana and Federico Pellegrino of Team Italy locomotion successful the parade during the opening ceremonial of the Winter Olympics astatine San Siro Stadium connected Feb. 6, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Dugan praised the Italian games, saying the Milan-Cortina Winter Games ceremonial highlighted "tradition, harmony, co-existence and the Olympic truce," emphasizing heritage, landscapes and the jock procession implicit governmental messaging. He called the Italian attack "panoramic, heritage-driven, classical," compared with Paris’ "maximalist, narrative-driven, experimental" style."

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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends the Inauguration ceremonial of the Olympic Torch Relay for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games astatine the Quirinale Palace, connected Dec. 5, 2025, successful Rome. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)

Reporting connected the Milan ceremonial described it arsenic a unity-focused lawsuit celebrating Italian culture, plan and scenery portion pushing past pre-Games tensions and highlighting the Olympic perfect of transportation and peace. Coverage emphasized contented and spectacle alternatively than ideological symbolism, with performances rooted successful classical imagery and nationalist identity.

Dugan, who precocious launched a Truce Compliance Index tracking however countries observe the tradition, argued the quality reflected 2 chiseled philosophies astir what Olympic ceremonies should represent.

Italian histrion Matilda De Angelis performs during the Winter Olympics opening ceremonial successful Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Paris leaned into modern individuality and pluralism, helium said, presenting an ambitious taste communicative that immoderate audiences recovered bold portion others viewed it arsenic politically charged. Milan, by contrast, centered its connection connected timeless themes tied to heritage, quality transportation and the Olympic truce.

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, waves during the opening ceremonial of the Olympic Games connected July 26, 2024, successful Paris. (Christian Liewig-Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

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The opposition betwixt the ceremonies highlights a broader improvement of the Olympics themselves. Host nations progressively usage opening ceremonies to task nationalist individuality and values, whether done modern reinterpretation oregon accepted symbolism.