Paris mayor on wish for Olympic rings to stay on Eiffel Tower until 2028
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, confirmed on Friday that she wants the Olympic symbol to remain on the ‘Iron Lady’ throughout the Olympic cycle until Los Angeles in 2028. Criticism has been swift from the descendants of her designer, Gustave Eiffel, as well as from political opposition groups.
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, said at a press conference, “The proposal I’ve made about the rings… is a proposal that we keep the rings on the Eiffel Tower until 2028, until the Los Angeles Games. “Maybe they’ll stay after 2028, maybe not. We’ll see,” she added. The Parisian leader reiterated the intention she had expressed some time ago and now made public, even though the Paralympic Games are not yet over.
Of course, the Eiffel Tower is already one of the most photographed places in the world and a major attraction for visitors, and the presence of the Olympic rings will make it even more special, although critics have already emerged.
Opponents of Hidalgo have come forward to voice their disagreement. Local residents and conservation groups have also voiced their displeasure. Criticism has also come from the descendants of Gustave Eiffel, the monument’s designer. They have issued a statement outlining their views: “We don’t think it’s appropriate for the Eiffel Tower, which has become the symbol of Paris and all of France since it was built 135 years ago, to bear the symbol of an external organisation.”
Hidalgo also wanted to keep the rings permanently on the tower, deputy mayor Pierre Rabadan confirmed to AFP on Tuesday. By contrast, the Agitos logo for the Paralympic Games, which end on Sunday, was placed on the Arc de Triomphe, but will be moved to a spot in the middle of the Champs-Élysées, Hidalgo added. The argument put forward by the groups opposing Hidalgo’s plan focuses on the idea that the Eiffel Tower should not be used as part of a personal initiative taken without consulting the city council or the capital’s residents in general. “The mayor of Paris is not the kind of person who misses an opportunity,”
Hidalgo told reporters. “When you’re mayor, you make decisions because you have the legitimacy to do so,” she added. However, it’s also true that the rings are owned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), while the Eiffel Tower is owned by the city of Paris. As a listed monument, the task of keeping the logo in place is likely to be complicated.
Acting Culture Minister Rachida Dati was one of the voices on X (formerly Twitter) reminding people that the Eiffel Tower is a protected heritage site. “The Eiffel Tower is a protected monument, the work of a great engineer and creator. Respecting his work requires authorisation and an impact assessment before any significant change,” she wrote on social media.
It also seems that an analysis will have to be made of what some officials have pointed out. The current rings will have to be removed. They are too heavy to remain on the monument. If Hidalgo’s intention to keep the rings on the Eiffel Tower is to go ahead, the IOC would have to fund a technical study to design lighter versions that could be attached to the tower, the symbol of Paris.
Reactions continue to pour in. In anticipation of what might happen, a petition has already been organised on Change.org. It aims to launch a campaign against the permanence of the rings. The petition gathered almost 16,000 signatures on its first day and continues to grow.
What is particularly curious is that the Eiffel Tower itself was originally built as a temporary structure, to be dismantled after the 1889 Universal Exhibition. At the time, many people protested against a monument they did not like. But gradually it became an iconic symbol of the heart of Paris and its people. It remains to be seen what will happen to the rings now – the same thing could happen again: many may protest, and yet the rings could eventually become part of the city’s daily landscape.