Scandal on French TV: Christian crosses compared to neo-Nazi symbols

A large-scale scandal erupted on French television after a news item compared Christian crosses erected in the vicinity of Nice with neo-Nazi ideology. The incident drew sharp criticism from the public and religious circles, who considered such parallels unacceptable.

According to the Tribune chretienne, on April 22, 2026, the M6 television channel showed a story about crosses with the inscription Ave Christus Rex (“Glory to Christ the King”) placed on the hill of Bau de Saint-Jeanne. In recent weeks, two similar symbols have appeared in the area: the first was officially removed by the authorities and the second was cut down by unknown assailants. The hill is a protected natural area, and the installation of any structures there is restricted by law, including French secularism regulations governing the placement of religious paraphernalia in public places.

The main wave of outrage was caused by a comment of a guest sociologist who, on the program, drew a parallel between these crosses and neo-Nazi slogans. As an example, he cited inscriptions like “Nice is Germany”, which were previously recorded in the area and are used by far-right groups as provocative symbols referring to Nazi ideology. The expert presented the installation of crosses as part of a similar ideological activity.

Critics of this interpretation emphasize that the Christian cross is a sacred religious symbol and its identification with extremist movements is offensive. Opinions are divided in society: some consider the installation of crosses as an “illegal provocation”, while others condemn their destruction, qualifying it as an act of vandalism.

Earlier we reported that France is undergoing a major transformation of its religious structure. According to the latest statistics, the share of the Christian population in the country has fallen below 50%, which indicates a significant change in public sentiment and a rapid increase in the number of non-religious citizens.