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

Paris and Milan-Cortina delivered two sharply different Olympic spectacles, one that ignited culture-war backlash and another that leaned into heritage and national pride, a contrast some observers say mirrors the political paths of Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni.

Olympic opening ceremonies rank among the world’s most-watched cultural broadcasts, making them powerful stages for nations to project how they see themselves and how they want to be seen. "Paris tried to reinterpret tradition.