The resigning minister clarified that the hanging of the rings had been authorised. “temporarily”Gustave Eiffel’s descendants also disapprove of the project.
Maintaining the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower requires that “all procedures and consultations” be “respected”affirmed the resigning Minister of Culture Rachida Dati on Sunday, the day after the announcement of the project by the mayor of Paris.
Anne Hidalgo revealed to the daily newspaper on Saturday West Francethat these rings would remain on the first floor of the famous tower, without mentioning any consultation on the subject. “As mayor of Paris, the decision is mine and I have the agreement of the IOC. So yes, they will stay on the Eiffel Tower.”she said.
Rachida Dati, also an opponent of the socialist mayor within the Paris Council, tempered this enthusiasm. “Before any decision is made and any announcement is made in this matter, it is important that all procedures and consultations aimed at protecting heritage are respected”she wrote on X. “The Eiffel Tower is a protected monument, 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.”she added. The resigning minister clarified that the hanging of the rings had been authorized “temporarily”.
“The Eiffel Tower is not intended as an advertising antenna”
The Association of Descendants of Gustave Eiffel (AGDE) also affirmed “his disapproval”. “It does not seem appropriate to us that the Eiffel Tower, which has become since its construction 135 years ago the symbol of Paris and by extension of France itself in the world, should be added to the symbol of an external organization, in a lasting way, whatever its prestige”she wrote in a statement.
“If the rings stay a little longer than the Paralympic Games, why not? We don’t see any problem with that.”its president, Olivier Berthelot-Eiffel, great-great-grandson of Gustave Eiffel, told AFP. “But the Eiffel Tower is not intended as an advertising antenna. Anne Hidalgo should surely have said that she wanted to keep the Olympic rings, not that she had decided to, and asked the opinion of the Paris Council and competent figures.”he added.
A petition has been launched against the permanent retention of the rings on the Change.org platform. “Once the party time is over, our emblematic monument must return to its natural state”it is written on the platform. 508 signatures have been collected so far. The Eiffel Tower remains, with a few nuances of paint, and apart from the effects of technological developments, the same as the one erected by Gustave Eiffel for the Universal Exhibition of 1889. It has been listed as a historical monument since 1964.
