French conservatives and far-right figures voiced their outrage on Tuesday over the official poster for the upcoming Paris Olympics, citing the absence of prominent national symbols such as the Christian cross and the French flag, which they attributed to “woke”.
Francois-Xavier Bellamy of the right-wing Republicans party accused those responsible for the image of denying France’s identity and distorting reality to erase its history. Marion Marechal of the far-right Reconquete (Reconquest) party echoed these sentiments, questioning the purpose of hosting the Olympics in France if the country’s identity is concealed.
National Rally (RN) lawmaker Nicolas Meizonnet attributed the omissions to “wokism,” a term often associated with the French far right’s criticism of progressive ideologies.
The poster, created by artist Ugo Gattoni and unveiled on Monday, depicts a whimsical Parisian cityscape with notable landmarks and intricate details representing all 54 Olympic and Paralympic sports. Gattoni clarified that his design was not intended to be historically accurate but rather a surreal celebration of the city.
Responding to the controversy, the organizing committee defended the poster as a “light-hearted interpretation” of a fictional stadium-city, asserting that there was no obligation to include the French flag. The committee emphasized the presence of national symbols such as the colors of the French flag in the mascots’ rosettes and the depiction of Marianne.
In addition to the poster debate, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin disclosed plans for the opening ceremony on the river Seine, with a total of 326,000 tickets to be sold or distributed. Despite scaling back due to security concerns, the ceremony is set to break records in terms of size, promising to make the Paris Olympics “iconic” with innovative staging.
