The French Court of Auditors advised the Louvre to "prioritize" and not to save on security
Photo: EPA

On November 6, the French Court of Auditors published report in which she criticized the Louvre's management for neglecting security and wrong priorities in procurement. The document concerns the activities of the Parisian Museum of the World in 2018-2024.

Pierre Moscovici, Chairman of the Accounting Chamber, stated that the robbery committed on October 19 was a "deafening wake-up call" that emphasizes the chronic lack of investment in museum security.

According to the auditors, during the period under review, the Louvre's management favored "visible and attractive activities, such as the acquisition of works and the reconstruction of exhibitions, to the detriment of the maintenance and repair of buildings and technical facilities, especially those related to security."

At the same time, the modernization of technical equipment and security systems in the Louvre is being carried out too slowly.

For example, from 2018 to 2024, the museum allocated only €27 million for maintenance and modernization and €60 million for the restoration of the palace, which totaled €87 million, half of the amount spent on updating the museum's exhibitions (€64 million) and purchasing works of art (€105 million from its own funds).

At the same time, 20 years after its adoption, the plan to modernize fire safety systems has not been completed, and the increase in the number of surveillance cameras is extremely slow: for example, the wing of the palace where Leonardo Da Vinci's "Gioconda" (Mona Lisa) is exhibited is only 64% equipped with cameras in 2024, while in 2019 this figure was 51%.

The Accounting Chamber believes that the Louvre does not need additional state funding to implement the general restoration plan entitled "Louvre Tomorrow".

"The Louvre needs to better prioritize its projects and find a sustainable financial trajectory in the long term," the report says.

  • On Sunday, October 19, 2025, four criminals posing as museum employees broke into the Louvre using a hydraulic lift. After opening the showcases in the Apollo Gallery, they stole a total of nine pieces of jewelry one of them, the crown of Empress Eugenie (wife of Napoleon III), encrusted with 1354 diamonds, was lost during the escape.
  • Damages from the Louvre robbery is estimated at 88 million euros however, France will not receive payments for the stolen jewelry because they were not insured.
  • After the theft, part of the jewelry collection was transported from the Louvre to the the Bank of France's underground vault.