The director of the Louvre Museum resigned months after the looting of the treasures of Paris – National
The director of the Louvre Museum resigned on Tuesday, ending months of questions in the French cultural world about why no top official has resigned after the October jewel theft.
The departure of Laurence des Cars closes a devastating chapter for the world’s largest museum. It comes at a time when the Louvre is facing a wider issue of the institution spiraling out of control.
In the past year alone, the museum has endured the theft of precious stones from the Apollo Gallery, a water leak that damaged valuable books, mass walkouts and cat strikes due to poor working conditions, mass tourism and lack of staff.
That scrutiny has intensified in recent weeks, when French authorities revealed an alleged decade-long ticket fraud scheme — carried out under their noses — linked to a museum that investigators say may have cost the Louvre 10 million euros ($11.8 million).
President Emmanuel Macron welcomed des Cars’ resignation as “an act of commitment” at a time when the Louvre needs “calmness” and a new impetus for security improvements, modernization and other major projects, according to a statement from his office.
Macron wants to give des Cars a new campaign during his presidency of France’s Group of Seven industrial leaders, focusing on cooperation between major museums, the statement said.
For many in France’s cultural world, the resignation answers months of why no high-ranking official has fallen after the robbery: a broad daylight robbery that many here see as the most shameful breach of French heritage security in living memory.
A shameful theft
Thieves took less than eight minutes in October to steal 88 million euros ($102 million) worth of crown jewels from the Louvre, in a weekend operation that stunned visitors, exposed an obvious vulnerability and left one of France’s most iconic collections in the hands of criminals.
Several suspects were later arrested, but the stolen pieces have not been recovered.
Des Cars, one of Europe’s leading museum directors, reportedly agreed to resign on the day of the robbery, but the culture minister initially refused.
In his remarks after the theft, he described the moment as a “sad, cruel and violent reality” at the Louvre and said that, as a person in charge, he felt he had to resign.
He has been leading the Louvre since 2021, taking on one of the most prestigious museum jobs in the world at a time when the museum is still reeling after the shock of the pandemic and the return of many visitors.
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It’s a multifaceted problem
The latest announcement is the latest in a series of problems at the former palace, which is falling apart, amid growing complaints that the museum’s infrastructure and staff are not keeping up with the crowds pouring into its galleries.
In June, a strike by housekeepers and security workers forced the Louvre to suspend operations, blocking thousands of visitors outside the glass pyramid and underscoring the depth of anger among workers over overcrowding, understaffing and what unions call unacceptable working conditions.
Workers say the pressure of the daily flow of tourists – especially around the Mona Lisa – has become unmanageable and that the promised changes are coming too slowly.
The resignation comes at a highly-punished time, less than two weeks after French authorities uncovered a separate ticket fraud scheme.
That case increased the scrutiny of crimes beyond the theft of treasures and the day-to-day controls of the museum.
A fraud scheme
Prosecutors say tour guides are suspected of – up to 20 times a day – reusing the same tickets to bring in different groups of visitors, sometimes allegedly with the help of Louvre staff, in a scheme that investigators believe has been in place for a decade.
In a rare interview a few days ago with the Associated Press after the revelation of the fraud case, the general director of the Louvre’s No.
He pointed out that the overall scale of the museum – millions of visitors, many exhibits and a historic building – makes it stand out.
But he also acknowledged the shortcomings, saying the museum had strengthened authentication checks and increased controls.
The New Renaissance
The succession of problems has put a new political weight on the project that Macron championed: the renovation plan of the Louvre, named “Louvre New Renaissance.”
Unveiled by Macron in January 2025, the renovation, which could take decades, aims to modernize the museum, which is widely seen as overstretched and suffering from overcrowding.
The plan includes a new entrance along the Seine river to reduce pressure on IM Pei’s pyramid, new underground spaces and a dedicated Mona Lisa room with timed access – all aimed at improving crowd flow and reducing the daily crush that has become a symbol of the Louvre’s success and dysfunction.
The project is expected to cost around 700-800 million euros ($826 million-$944 million), with funding from ticket revenue, state support, donations and income related to Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Macron has placed this renovation as a matter of national importance, comparing his wish to other historic restoration efforts in France and making it part of a broader defense of France’s cultural dignity.
But the events of the past year – labor unrest, security failures and the now-alleged fraud – have fueled doubts about whether the Louvre can hold the line on operations, as it prepares for a costly, years-long transformation.
That disagreement defined des Cars’ last months in office.
He was the public face of the Louvre’s modern campaign and the official left reeling from a devastating failure.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
