Paris and Milan-Cortina delivered two starkly different Olympic spectacles, one that stoked the backlash against the culture war and another that leaned on heritage and national pride, a contrast that some observers say reflects the political paths of Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni.
Dugan described the 2024 ceremony in Paris as “a deliberately disruptive, decentralized, urban spectacle… visually bold yet polarizing,” built around a narrative collage of modern France, diversity and reinterpretation of history. He said choreography and costumes “often contained explicit social commentary,” fueling debate over whether parts of the ceremony were deliberately provocative or ideologically driven.
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The Trocadero venue as delegations arrive in Paris during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics, July 26, 2024. (Francois-Xavier Marit/Pool photo via AP)
The 2024 Paris Opening Ceremony, held along the Seine, sparked controversy after a segment widely interpreted as a reference to Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” drew criticism from Christian groups and conservative commentators before organizers clarified the intent and apologized for any wrongdoing.
The moment became a flashpoint in the broader French culture war debate over identity, religion and the meaning of public symbolism. The conversation reported that the ceremony sparked a national discussion about France’s “woke ideology” and cultural direction.
Some of the artists who appeared in the depiction of the Last Supper during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)
She continued: “President Emmanuel Macron’s France leaned toward progressive, ‘woke’ politics and post-national symbolism, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Italy emphasized heritage, tradition and unapologetic national pride. These aesthetic choices reflect a widening divide over Europe’s cultural and political future.”
Flag bearers Arianna Fontana and Federico Pellegrino of Team Italy walk in the parade during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 6, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Dugan praised the Italian Games, saying the Milan-Cortina Winter Games ceremony emphasized “tradition, harmony, coexistence and the Olympic truce,” emphasizing heritage, landscapes and the parade of athletes over political messages. He called the Italian approach “panoramic, heritage-driven, classical,” compared to the “maximalist, narrative, experimental” style of Paris.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends the inauguration ceremony of the Olympic torch relay for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Quirinale Palace, on December 5, 2025, in Rome. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
Coverage of the ceremony in Milan described it as a unity-oriented event celebrating Italian culture, design and landscapes, while overcoming pre-Games tensions and highlighting the Olympic ideal of connection and peace. The coverage emphasized tradition and spectacle rather than ideological symbolism, with performances rooted in classical imagery and national identity.
Dugan, who recently launched a Truce Compliance Index that tracks how countries observe tradition, argued that the difference reflected two different philosophies about what Olympic ceremonies should represent.
Italian actress Matilda De Angelis performs during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Friday, February 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Paris leaned on modern identity and pluralism, he said, presenting an ambitious cultural narrative that some audiences found daring, while others saw it as politically charged. Milan, on the other hand, focused its message on timeless themes related to heritage, human connection and the Olympic truce.
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, waves during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26, 2024 in Paris. (Christian Liewig-Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
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The contrast between the ceremonies highlights a broader evolution of the Olympic Games themselves. Host countries are increasingly using opening ceremonies to project national identity and values, either through modern reinterpretation or traditional symbolism.
