Louvre President Tells French Senate Museum Is ‘at the End of Its Rope’
Louvre president-director Christophe Leribault, in office since February, told the French Senate’s Committee on Culture on Wednesday that the museum is “at the end of its rope,” citing aging facilities, piling building problems, and a massive investment challenge. The Louvre’s infrastructure and security have faced scrutiny since an October 2025 heist in which thieves used a cherry picker to enter via an upper-floor window and stole $102 million in crown jewels from the Galerie d’Apollon in eight minutes; arrests have been made but the jewels remain missing. The fallout included partial closures, delayed openings, and staff strikes in December and January, and a ticketing fraud scandal that preceded the February resignation of former president-director Laurence des Cars. Leribault said a new perimeter video-surveillance system would begin installation in January 2027, with additional cameras already added at critical locations. He also emphasized fundraising needs for the Louvre’s Nouvelle Renaissance renovation—expected to cost more than €1 billion ($1.2 billion)—including a new entrance and a 33,000-square-foot Mona Lisa space, with Selldorf Architects and Studios Architecture Paris named in May to lead the project and a stated need to raise €360 million ($418 million) in the coming months.
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This story was covered in Restitution Showdowns, Museums at Breaking Point