French President Emmanuel Macron Accepts Louvre Museum Director's Resignation

French President Emmanuel Macron has officially accepted the resignation of Ms. Laurence des Cars, Director of the Louvre Museum in Paris. This decision comes as the world's largest museum is embroiled in crisis following a large-scale jewel heist and prolonged staff strikes.

The President's Office stated that Mr. Macron recognized this as a responsible act on the part of Ms. des Cars. This leadership change is expected to bring stability and new momentum to implement critical security and infrastructure modernization projects for the museum.

Shocking Heist and Serious Security Lapses

Ms. des Cars has faced a wave of fierce criticism since the October 2025 heist, when intruders stole jewelry valued at approximately $102 million. To date, all the precious assets remain unrecovered, exposing serious vulnerabilities in the security system of the world's most visited attraction.

Among the affected artifacts, Empress Eugénie's Crown fell and was damaged during the theft in the Apollo Gallery. This incident not only caused historical damage but also raised concerns about the current management's ability to preserve ancient artifacts.

Internal Challenges Besieging the Louvre Museum

Beyond security issues, the Louvre Museum is grappling with numerous accumulated difficulties related to operations and personnel. Since December, strikes over wages and working conditions have caused the museum to close multiple times, disrupting visitor services.

Recent reports have also revealed a series of other irregularities, including:

  • Two water leaks affecting exhibition spaces.
  • A large-scale ticket fraud investigation underway.
  • Budget shortfalls for infrastructure maintenance due to prioritization of new artwork acquisitions.

The National Audit Office has questioned the effectiveness, noting that only about a quarter of newly acquired artworks are actually made available for public viewing. The leadership change is expected to help the Louvre stabilize its operations promptly and improve its security system to protect humanity's priceless heritage.