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. Milan showcased tradition," Hugh Dugan, an Olympic Truce advocate and former U.S. diplomat, told Fox News Digital, framing the contrast between the ceremonies as part of a broader debate over the role of culture, politics and identity in the Games.

Dugan described the 2024 Paris ceremony as "a deliberately disruptive, decentralized, urban spectacle… visually bold but polarizing," built around a narrative collage of modern France, diversity and reinterpretation of history. He said choreography and costuming "often carried explicit social commentary," fueling debate over whether parts of the ceremony were intentionally provocative or ideologically driven.

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The 2024 Paris opening ceremony, staged along the Seine, sparked controversy after a segment widely interpreted as referencing Leonardo da Vinci’s "Last Supper" drew criticism from Christian groups and conservative commentators before organizers clarified the intent and apologized for any offense. 

The moment became a flashpoint in France’s wider culture-war debate over identity, religion and the meaning of public symbolism. The Conversation reported that the ceremony triggered a national discussion over "woke ideology" and France’s cultural direction.

Emma Schubart, a research fellow at the U.K.-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital, "The Olympics have become a stage for cultural politics as much as sport."

She continued, "President Emmanuel Macron’s France leaned into 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."

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

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Reporting on the Milan ceremony described it as a unity-focused event celebrating Italian culture, design and scenery while pushing past pre-Games tensions and highlighting the Olympic ideal of connection and peace. 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 tracking how countries observe the tradition, argued the difference reflected two distinct philosophies about what Olympic ceremonies should represent.

Paris leaned into modern identity and pluralism, he said, presenting an ambitious cultural narrative that some audiences found bold while others viewed it as politically charged. Milan, by contrast, centered its message on timeless themes tied to heritage, human connection and the Olympic truce.

The contrast between the ceremonies highlights a broader evolution of the Olympics themselves. Host nations increasingly use opening ceremonies to project national identity and values, whether through modern reinterpretation or traditional symbolism.

Two skiers were killed and another injured Sunday when an off-trail avalanche tore through a popular freeride route on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif near the French-Swiss border, officials said.

Three skiers were swept up in the Sunday morning slide along the Couloir Vesses, a well-known off-piste route in Courmayeur’s upper Val Veny, according to Italy’s Alpine Rescue, The Associated Press reported.

Search and rescue operations involved 15 rescuers, three canine units and two helicopters. One victim was transported to a hospital in serious condition but later died, the agency said.

Authorities said another person was partially buried in an avalanche in Trentino but was pulled to safety by companions.

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The deadly slide comes amid a particularly dangerous stretch in the Italian Alps. Italy’s Alpine Rescue said last week that 13 backcountry skiers, climbers and hikers died in the Italian mountains in the week ending Feb. 8 – a record toll – with 10 of those deaths caused by avalanches linked to an unusually unstable snowpack.

Officials said recent storms have dumped fresh snow onto fragile underlying layers, while strong winds have created unstable drifts, producing hazardous conditions across the Alpine arc bordering France, Switzerland and Austria.

The main issue is caused by "persistent weak layers in the snowy cloak, often covered by fresh snow or wind, conditions that make detachments unpredictable and easily triggered even by the passing of a single skier or alpinist," the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps said. "The dangerous points are many and difficult to identify, even for an expert."

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Federico Catania, a spokesperson for Italy’s Alpine Rescue Corps, said recent snowstorms have drawn visitors eager to take advantage of fresh slopes, "and as a result, the number of accidents, and therefore fatalities, has increased proportionally," The AP reported.

Courmayeur, a town of roughly 2,900 residents, sits about 200 kilometers – or 124 miles – northwest of Milan, a host city for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

The incidents occurred as the Winter Olympics were kicking off in the region on Feb. 6.

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Authorities stressed that competition sites – located in Lombardy near the Swiss border, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto and Val di Fiemme in Trentino – remain safe, well-maintained and closely monitored.

"There is no danger for people skiing within managed ski resorts, and, in particular, no risks to the Olympic sites," Catania said previously. "All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of Olympic events."

Prior to the start of the Winter Olympics, Vigili del Fuoco said crews would maintain safety measures for all visitors to the sites.

Fox News Digital’s Bonny Chu and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rescuers in Italy reported Monday that at least a dozen skiers, climbers and hikers died over the past week in a record-setting tragedy in the country’s mountainous terrain.

While authorities said 11 of the 12 victims were killed in avalanches triggered by exceptionally unstable conditions on ungroomed backcountry slopes, The Associated Press reported a total of 13 deaths.

The incidents occurred just as the Winter Olympics began in the region last Friday. Authorities stressed that the game sites — located in Lombardy on the Swiss border, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto and Val di Fiemme in Trentino — remain safe, well-maintained and closely monitored. 

Italy’s specialist mountain rescue organization revealed the fatal disasters were caused by weak layers of fresh snow, unstable enough that the passage of a single person could trigger an avalanche.

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The main issue is caused by "persistent weak layers in the snowy cloak, often covered by fresh snow or wind, conditions that make detachments unpredictable and easily triggered even by the passing of a single skier or alpinist," the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps said. "The dangerous points are many and difficult to identify, even for an expert."

The country’s Alpine Rescue Corps spokesperson, Federico Catania, added that recent snowstorms have prompted visitors to take advantage of the fresh slopes, "and as a result, the number of accidents, and therefore fatalities, has increased proportionally," the AP reported.

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Italy’s national fire and rescue service, Vigili del Fuoco, reported that, over the weekend, two people died and one was seriously injured in Alpe Meriggio in Valtellina after being caught in an avalanche that fatally buried at least one of the victims.

The Associated Press also reported that three people died in avalanches in Trentino and one in neighboring South Tyrol.

Another two were reportedly killed in separate avalanches near the Marmolada glacier, two hikers along the Apennine range and an ice climber in Valle d’Aosta.

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Outside such regions, Catania said people skiing in managed areas should not face any significant risks, the AP reported.

"There is no danger for people skiing within managed ski resorts, and, in particular, no risks to the Olympic sites," Catania said. "All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of Olympic events."

Prior to the start of the Winter Olympics, Vigili del Fuoco said that crews would maintain safety measures for all visitors to the sites.

"For the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Italian National Fire Brigade has implemented an enhanced rescue structure to ensure the safety of athletes, delegations, spectators, and citizens, while also ensuring the continuity of the regular service," the organization said.