Ailing Eiffel Tower dragged into power play for Paris city hall

A Paris Metro train crosses the river Seine in front of the Eiffel Tower at dawn as the monument remains closed to the public for the fifth consecutive day as it's staff continue to strike in central Paris, on Feb 23, 2024. (Photo: AFP/Kiran Ridley)

PARIS: A power battle has emerged between the mayor of Paris and her primary opponent, the French minister of culture, for control of the Eiffel Tower, which is being attacked by rust and is far behind schedule for maintenance.

The poor condition of the monument's repairs was brought to light this month by a five-day strike at the Eiffel Tower.

Unions claimed that unless the famous monument's owner, the city of Paris, made enormous financial resources available to restore it, it was doomed.

When Gustave Eiffel designed the tower when it was first put into service in 1889, he advised painting it every seven years to prevent rust.

However, since 2010, the 300-meter iron structure—330 meters tall when the high-frequency antenna at the top is taken into account—has not received a complete painting job.

Unions said that "many corrosion points... visible" during the strike were "signs of a worrying deterioration of the monument."

"Safety problems" have been raised by local associations if the rust is not addressed.

Rachida Dati, France's newly appointed right-wing cultural minister, voiced her opinions in response to the protests.

She suggested that the left-leaning mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, should request that the Eiffel Tower be designated as a "historical monument".

It does not now have that protection, which is unusual for a site with such a high visibility.