Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has sparked fierce debate by saying she wants the Olympic ring to remain on the Eiffel Tower after the Summer Games.
“The decision is in my hands and I have the approval of the International Olympic Committee [International Olympic Committee]”, she told France Ouest newspaper over the weekend.
“So yes, they [the rings] Will stay at the Eiffel Tower,” she added.
Some Parisians support the move, but others – including heritage campaigners – say it is a bad idea and will “tarnish” the French capital’s iconic monuments.
The five rings, 29m (95ft) wide, 15m high and weighing 30 tonnes, were installed on the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening of the Paris Olympics on July 26 and are expected to be removed after the Paralympics closing ceremony on September 8.
But Ms. Hidalgo said she wanted to keep the interlacing rings of blue, yellow, black, green and red that symbolize the five continents.
She added that the current rings – each 9m in diameter – were too heavy and would be replaced by lighter versions in the future.
The Socialist mayor also claimed that “the French fell in love with Paris again” during the Olympics and she hoped “this festive atmosphere can continue”.
Some Parisians and visitors to the French capital supported the mayor.
“The Eiffel Tower is very beautiful and the rings add color. It’s nice to see the Eiffel Tower like this,” a young woman who calls herself Solena told the France Bleu website.
But local resident Manon said this was “a very bad idea”.
“This is a historical monument, why tarnish it with rings? It was good for the Olympics, but now that it’s over and we can move on, maybe we should remove them and restore the Eiffel Tower to its original appearance,” he told France Bleu.
Social media user Christophe Robin said Ms Hidalgo should consult Parisians before implementing her plan.
In a post on X, he reminded that the Eiffel Tower had advertised Citroën in 1925-36.
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the World’s Fair. The wrought-iron lattice tower was initially harshly criticized by Parisian artists and intellectuals, but is now regarded by many as a symbol of the “City of Lights.”
Ms. Hidalgo has led Paris since 2014 and is known for her bold and sometimes controversial reforms.
During her tenure, many city streets, including the banks of the Seine, were pedestrianized.
last year, She convincingly won a city referendum banning electric scooter rentals. However, less than 8% of those eligible voted.
February, Ms Hidalgo has won again after Parisians approved a significant increase in parking fees for sports utility vehicles (SUVs).
But driver groups and opposition figures have criticized the plan, saying the SUV classification is misleading because many family cars would be affected.
French Environment Minister Christophe Bertou said at the time that the surcharge amounted to “punitive environmentalism”.
Just before the Paris Olympics, Ms. Hidalgo and other officials entered the Seine to prove the river was safe for swimming.
