French President Macron's kiss with sports minister sparks controversy

A photo of French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera greeting President Emmanuel Macron with a kiss during the opening ceremony has sparked a row on social media.

The photo shows Castera planting a kiss on the President's right cheek.

An India Today report states that the photo garnered attention after French magazine Madame Figaro posted it and called it 'strange'.

However, others pointed out that it was 'much ado about nothing.'

"The French are known for kissing on both cheeks as a greeting. Vive La France!" a user wrote on X.

Oudea-Castera has been in the news this year. Earlier this month, she had dived into the Seine river to allay fears of Olympic athletes over E.coli and bacteria levels in the water.

However, some events, including the men's triathlon, have been postponed due to water quality concerns.

Forty-six year-old Oudea-Castera, also a former professional tennis player, has been serving as the Sports Minister for Olympic and Paralympic Games in the government of successive Prime Ministers Élisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal since May 2022.

In January 2024, Oudea-Castera briefly held an additional charge as the education minister. However, she was removed from the post within a month after she criticised government-run public schools.

Moreover, the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics saw another controversy when a drag show parodying Leonardo Da Vinci's famous fresco 'The Last Supper' enraged the Catholic church and far-right politicians. However, supporters hailed the show as being tolerant and inclusive.

"...this ceremony unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply regret," the French Bishops' Conference said, as per a report by AFP.

The art director of the Olympics opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, said in a press conference, "I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion, not at all to divide," the France-based news agency reported.

(With PTI Inputs)