Story perspectives

SETÉ CEO Patrick Branco Ruivo to step down by year-end

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 2:20 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Patrick Branco Ruivo Resigns

SETÉ CEO Patrick Branco Ruivo will step down by year-end after female staff exclusion.
Women were excluded during a September 5 visit by the Hindu group BAPS.
An independent probe found operational failures caused the women’s removal.
Eiffel Tower staff struck on September 7, closing the landmark for one day.
SETÉ will launch gender-equality training and create a new protocol department.

Summary

BAPS Opens Paris Temple

BAPS opened its first traditional temple near Paris in September, marking its European expansion.
The movement maintains close ties to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
Mahant Swami Maharaj, a 93-year-old leader whose vows forbid contact with women, attended the ceremony.
BAPS said monks’ vows were disclosed to SETE beforehand and were not intended to restrict others.

History

Historical Context

France’s parity agenda began with a 1999 constitutional amendment championed by Sylviane Agacinski and Lionel Jospin, leading to the 2000 law obliging parties to field 50 % women candidates. Extensions in 2007 and 2008 broadened quotas to local executives. The September 5, 2024 BAPS temple opening that barred women, prompting SETÉ CEO Patrick Branco Ruivo’s resignation, revives these long-standing gender-balance mandates.

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Patrick Branco Ruivo Resigns

SETÉ CEO Patrick Branco Ruivo will step down by year-end after female staff exclusion.
Women were excluded during a September 5 visit by the Hindu group BAPS.
An independent probe found operational failures caused the women’s removal.
Eiffel Tower staff struck on September 7, closing the landmark for one day.
SETÉ will launch gender-equality training and create a new protocol department.

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