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Friday, Dec 26, 2025
Outside the box.
Louvre Under Intensifying Pressure After Disastrous Year
A series of crises — from a sensational jewel heist to strikes, structural weaknesses and controversy over a €1.15 billion revamp — has exposed deep challenges at the world’s most visited museum.
The Louvre Museum in Paris, widely regarded as the world’s most visited cultural institution, is confronting one of the most turbulent periods in its modern history, as a succession of setbacks has undermined confidence in its leadership and exposed deeper institutional weaknesses.
The year’s troubles were punctuated by an audacious daylight robbery in October, in which four burglars used a freight lift to break into the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon and seize French crown jewels valued at more than €88 million — a heist that took less than eight minutes and revealed glaring security vulnerabilities.
Despite the arrest of suspects, the jewels remain unrecovered.
In response to this breach and other safety concerns, the museum has begun reinforcing security, including installing metal bars on the balcony used by the thieves and planning to deploy additional surveillance cameras.
The heist was not an isolated failure.
A recent structural assessment forced the closure of galleries due to weakened support beams, and a water leak damaged hundreds of books at the museum’s Egyptology research library, spotlighting persistent maintenance problems.
These operational strains have compounded internal discontent; workers protested deteriorating conditions and staffing shortages, staging strikes that temporarily shuttered the museum and disrupted visitor access during the peak holiday season.
Union representatives have also criticised proposed increases in ticket prices for non-European visitors, arguing that such measures would make the Louvre less accessible while underlying conditions remain unaddressed.
Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron’s ambitious €1.15 billion “Nouvelle Renaissance” renovation project, unveiled earlier in the year to modernise the museum and create a separate space for Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” has come under intense scrutiny.
Critics say the plan is ill-timed given the museum’s pressing need for basic upkeep and security investment.
France’s state auditor has critiqued the Louvre’s priorities, noting disproportionate spending on acquisitions and high-profile initiatives at the expense of fundamental infrastructure and safety improvements.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati has appointed Philippe Jost, known for overseeing the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral, to outline a reorganisation strategy for the Louvre.
With the museum’s president, Laurence des Cars, facing mounting pressure and her mandate due to expire in 2026, the institution’s future direction remains uncertain as it seeks to balance heritage stewardship with the demands of modern museum management.
The year’s troubles were punctuated by an audacious daylight robbery in October, in which four burglars used a freight lift to break into the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon and seize French crown jewels valued at more than €88 million — a heist that took less than eight minutes and revealed glaring security vulnerabilities.
Despite the arrest of suspects, the jewels remain unrecovered.
In response to this breach and other safety concerns, the museum has begun reinforcing security, including installing metal bars on the balcony used by the thieves and planning to deploy additional surveillance cameras.
The heist was not an isolated failure.
A recent structural assessment forced the closure of galleries due to weakened support beams, and a water leak damaged hundreds of books at the museum’s Egyptology research library, spotlighting persistent maintenance problems.
These operational strains have compounded internal discontent; workers protested deteriorating conditions and staffing shortages, staging strikes that temporarily shuttered the museum and disrupted visitor access during the peak holiday season.
Union representatives have also criticised proposed increases in ticket prices for non-European visitors, arguing that such measures would make the Louvre less accessible while underlying conditions remain unaddressed.
Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron’s ambitious €1.15 billion “Nouvelle Renaissance” renovation project, unveiled earlier in the year to modernise the museum and create a separate space for Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” has come under intense scrutiny.
Critics say the plan is ill-timed given the museum’s pressing need for basic upkeep and security investment.
France’s state auditor has critiqued the Louvre’s priorities, noting disproportionate spending on acquisitions and high-profile initiatives at the expense of fundamental infrastructure and safety improvements.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati has appointed Philippe Jost, known for overseeing the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral, to outline a reorganisation strategy for the Louvre.
With the museum’s president, Laurence des Cars, facing mounting pressure and her mandate due to expire in 2026, the institution’s future direction remains uncertain as it seeks to balance heritage stewardship with the demands of modern museum management.
