Rachida Dati wants "consultations" regarding the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower

Anne Hidalgo revealed to the daily newspaper Ouest France on Saturday that 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.

Ms Dati, who is 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 his architectural gesture and his 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 authorised "on a temporary basis".

The Association of Descendants of Gustave Eiffel (AGDE) also expressed "its disapproval".

"It does not seem appropriate to us that the Eiffel Tower, which has become the symbol of Paris and by extension of France itself in the world since its construction 135 years ago, should be joined by the symbol of an external organisation, in a lasting way, whatever its prestige," she wrote in a press release.

"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.

The Eiffel Tower remains, apart from a few nuances of paintwork 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 historic monument since 1964.