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Paris Eiffel Tower says chief to step down after uproar over removing women staff

Under fire after women employees were removed during a visit by a Hindu religious group, the head of the Eiffel Tower's operating company will step down at the end of the year, the management firm announced Tuesday.

Published September 29,2026 05:33 PM
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The operating company that runs the Eiffel Tower said Tuesday its chief would step down at the end of this year in the wake of a controversy over the removal of women staff during a visit by a Hindu religious group.

Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has been in charge of the Paris landmark since 2018, would leave his job at the end of the year after an internal probe revealed that "operational flaws and shortcomings" in organising the visit led to the "unacceptable" removal of women staff, the company SETE said in a statement.