Macron praises Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony’s audacity, defends artistic freedom

“I am scandalised and sad about what he’s been through,” Macron told reporters in Paris, after returning from his summer retreat on the French Riviera where he had cheered French Olympic champions.

“The French and the whole world were very proud of this opening ceremony, it made us very proud,” Macron said. “His audacity did a lot of good to a lot of people.”

The scene that provoked backlash from the Catholic Church, far-right politicians in France, and the religious right in the United States featured drag queens, a transgender model, and a naked singer portraying the Greek god Dionysus.

Paris 2024 organisers apologised, stating they did not intend to offend any religious group. Jolly also clarified that religious subversion was not his aim and that the scene was meant to represent a pagan feast associated with the gods of Olympus.

Macron emphasised that while criticism and differing opinions are acceptable, death threats have no place in a democracy and that the ceremony demonstrated France’s respect for artistic freedom.

“It showed France’s audacity, and it all happened with the suitable artistic freedom,” Macron said. “Nothing justifies threats to an artist.”

When asked about the Olympic cauldron, which has become a popular attraction in the Tuileries gardens, potentially becoming a permanent feature of the Paris skyline, Macron indicated he was open to the idea but noted that it required further discussion with other parties.

“It’s one thing we’re thinking about. Everything we can do to keep the city more beautiful over the long term is something we need to think about,” Macron said.

“We’ll look into it in due time, with the relevant technical analyses and while keeping in mind that we need to preserve the historical views of Paris. But I think it’s making everyone dream today,” he added.

– With inputs from Reuters