The operator of the Eiffel Tower says its chief executive will leave at the end of the year after an internal investigation found failings during a visit by a Hindu religious group.
The company SETE, which runs the Paris landmark, said on Tuesday that Patrick Branco Ruivo will step down after serving as director general since 2018. SETE said an internal probe concluded that shortcomings in organising the September 5 event led to the “unacceptable” removal of women staff.
Walkout, Closure and Political Outcry
The controversy began when women employees were taken out of their roles during a visit by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, known as BAPS. Staff staged a walkout and the monument was closed for a day, prompting criticism across France.
The dispute drew attention in a country where secularism and gender equality are core public priorities.
SETE said at the time that the Hindu delegation had requested the visit be arranged to limit interactions with women, and that those conditions should not have been accepted. It also said the incident led to a broader review of how visits are handled.
New protocol Measures Ordered
SETE said the coming months would be used to prepare the leadership handover. Ariel Weil, chairman of the board, said he would seek the creation of a dedicated protocol department and the introduction of new measures and training aimed at strengthening gender equality.
Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire, of the Socialist Party, had previously denounced the decision to remove women staff as absurd, unjust and unacceptable, and ordered two separate investigations.
In a later statement, Gregoire said he had noted Ruivo’s decision and praised his commitment to the Eiffel Tower and SETE since he took up the post in late 2018, according to a person close to him who spoke to AFP and asked not to be identified.
BAPS Apologises After Incident
BAPS, which is close to the governing conservative Hindu nationalist party in India, has apologised for any pain or inconvenience caused by the incident. The group has also said it opened its first major temple near Paris over the same weekend.
In a separate statement, Eiffel Tower staff said they were given instructions that resulted in female employees being sidelined, replaced and prevented from carrying out their work during the delegation’s visit. They said some women were asked to leave their posts and move to other areas, that some positions were taken by men, and that all female employees were instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present.
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29 September 2026
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