Paris (EFE).– The president and director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, said on Wednesday that some 20 urgent measures have been implemented to secure the museum, including the installation of 100 perimeter cameras and a mobile police station on site.
She made these announcements while appearing before the National Assembly’s Cultural and Education Affairs Committee, exactly one month after the shocking robbery on Oct. 19, in which eight priceless French crown jewels were stolen and have not yet been recovered.
The incident sparked a wave of criticism and concern about the museum’s security and condition, exacerbated by the recent announcement of the closure of a gallery due to structural weaknesses in some of the beams.
She said that, in light of the recent robbery, some 20 urgent measures have been implemented or accelerated to secure the interior and exterior, such as the installation of 100 perimeter cameras, which will be completed by the end of 2026, and the establishment of a mobile police station inside.
The measures also include the creation of a security coordinator, reporting to the president, to have an overview of the needs for ensuring the museum’s security.
Des Cars stressed, however, that this “drama,” which she admitted was a “failure” in security should not mask the efforts that had been underway at least since she took office in September 2021.
Specifically, she mentioned the creation of a master security plan, valued at 80 million euros ($92.65 million), which is scheduled to begin implementation in 2026.
She also emphasized the upcoming reopening of the Gallery of the Five Continents and the Spanish and Italian painting galleries, which have been renovated and incorporate new, modern security equipment.
She further stressed that these renovations have been made and must continue to be made while keeping the world’s most visited museum open and accessible to all.
Regarding criticism about whether the acquisition of new works and high-profile projects were prioritized over security, particularly in light of the French Court of Auditors’ report published two weeks ago, Des Cars rejected the notion that these two factors should be pitted against each other and emphasized that acquiring pieces of great interest was at the heart of the museum’s mission.
She also defended the renovation and modernization project for the museum dubbed the Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance plan, announced in early 2025 by French President Emmanuel Macron, as a solution to the museum’s obsolescence, both due to the age of the facilities and the fact that visitor numbers have already doubled the capacity for which the current entrances were designed in the 1980s.
This major renovation project, among its key features, includes a new entrance on the east side of the museum and a new exhibition hall for the Mona Lisa.
Regarding the controversy sparked the previous day after two Belgian TikTokers hung a framed photo of themselves in the crowded room displaying Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, Des Cars downplayed the incident, noting that museums worldwide have been grappling with all sorts of “interventions” for years, especially those related to environmentalism. EFE
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