A row over the Olympics logo becoming a long term feature of the Eiffel Tower has taken a fresh turn with a French government minister bidding to take de facto control over the monument away from the city of Paris.

The popular landmark sported giant Olympic rings during this summer's Olympics and Paralympics. The capital's mayor Anne Hidalgo -- encouraged by the popular success of the Games -- said a version of the decoration should adorn the tower until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

But that proposal has polarised opinion in the French capital and at the highest level of state. Already, it has been severely criticised by descendants of the tower's designer Gustave Eiffel, as well as conservation groups.

At the end of last month, workers removed the 30-tonne steel rings that were first installed in June between the first and second floors of the tower.

Hidalgo has campaigned for lighter, less prominent, versions of the originals to be installed in their place.

But even this toned-down proposal is too much for sceptics, some of whom are also bitter political enemies of Hidalgo. The Socialist mayor has riled opponents with ambitious pro-cycling and anti-car projects, as well as a recent decision to cut the speed limit on Paris's ring road, the Peripherique.

One of her most prominent critics is right-wing politician, Rachida Dati, who as leader of the opposition in Paris city hall has often locked horns with Hidalgo. Having failed in a previous bid, she is expected to run for mayor again in 2026 at the next municipal election.

Dati was last month reappointed Culture Minister in Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government, a position that gives her much influence over listed buildings and their protection.

On Tuesday, she announced that she had asked for the Eiffel Tower to become part of the state's top heritage list.

If granted, that would, de facto, wrest control over work done on the tower from the city and her rival Hidalgo, placing it in the hands of the central government. (AFP)