Parliamentary report calls for major changes at French museums in the wake of Louvre heist

"A report published on 13 May by the parliamentary commission formed after the heist of the crown jewels at the Louvre museum, raises alarms over the "worrying condition" of their collections and proposes 40 recommendations, from raising budgets to overhauling museum leadership."

"According to the MPs, her leadership symbolises a "dysfunctional drift", favouring contemporary art interventions, fashion shows and gallery renovations over the basic protection of collections. The commission considers that Ms des Cars, who was forced to resign in February, "relegated to the background" the updating of the infrastructures which were "delayed by a little more than two years"."

"The report's authors charge that this policy "allowed the 19 October heist to happen". They list a series of rising threats against museums, including rioting, burglaries, cyberattacks (which led the National Museum of Natural History in Paris to cancel an entire exhibition after a ransomware attack in July 2025), and terrorist threats."

"In museums, there remain a tiny fraction of art thefts-an average of 18 cases annually over 15 years-but "their level of violence has increased", focussing on jewellery and precious metals. However, the commission insists that these valuable pieces should still remain "by all means visible to the public". The report requests enhancing staff training and fun"

French museums are facing multiple security threats, leading the French government to respond to dramatic failures in museum protection. A parliamentary report published on 13 May, based on about 100 testimonies and coverage of around 2,000 museums, warns of the worrying condition of collections and proposes 40 recommendations. A special focus on the Louvre criticizes former director Laurence des Cars, describing a dysfunctional drift that prioritized contemporary art interventions, fashion shows, and renovations over basic collection protection. The report says infrastructure updates were delayed by more than two years and that this policy allowed the 19 October heist to occur. The report also cites rioting, burglaries, cyberattacks, and terrorist threats, while noting increased violence in thefts targeting jewellery and precious metals.

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