Rabat – Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo has enraged heritage campaigners by announcing plans to maintain the Olympic rings symbol on the Eiffel Tower when the Games have finished.
The 30-tons, 29×13-meter ring structure is too heavy to be left on the tower for much longer, but Hidalgo has plans in hand for replacing it with a more permanent and lighter steel replica.
“I want the spirit of celebration to last,” she said in an interview with the Ouest-France. “I’m pleased that the French have fallen in love with Paris again, after 10 years of bashing and telling us that it [the Olympic Games] was going to be hell.”
Hidalgo says she has the consent of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the symbol to become permanent. Paris City Hall owns the tower and is a majority shareholder in the company that manages it.
However, cultural minister Rachida Dati, who is expected to take Hidalgo’s place as a mayor in 2026, is less keen about the move.
She posted on X that the tower was a protected monument that should not be changed without approval. “[The Eiffel Tower is] the work of an immense engineer and creator. Respect for its architectural gesture and its work requires, before making any substantial modification, a work permit and an impact assessment, in accordance with the heritage code.”
Dati further emphasized that the fixing of the Olympic Rings on the tower was authorized only on a “temporary” basis.
A petition has been drawn by French citizens up against the idea with more than 15,000 signatures to date. “Our emblematic monument must regain its natural state. Even if the mayor of Paris wants the opposite. By signing this petition, make the voices of the millions of French people who disagree with this decision heard,” it reads.
The Eiffel Tower was built by the engineer Gustave Eiffel as a temporary structure for the 1889 Universal Exhibition and has been a listed monument since 1964.
Only time will tell as to what the outcome of this iconic French monument will be.
