Louvre Director Grilled in Senate Hearing Over ‘Cult of Secrecy’ Accused of Enabling Theft

Louvre president Laurence des Cars faced an fraught Senate hearing on Wednesday as lawmakers pressed her on years of allegedly neglected security warnings preceding the October theft of $102 million in imperial jewels — an interrogation that has intensified calls for her resignation. 

The session followed revelations that multiple audits conducted in 2017 and 2018 flagged structural vulnerabilities in the Apollo Gallery, where intruders broke in on October 19. Des Cars, who assumed leadership in 2021, told senators she had not been informed of those earlier reports until after the theft, according to Le Monde. She defended the museum’s response, noting accelerated upgrades to the institution’s long-outdated surveillance system, the installation of 100 new cameras, and a 20 percent increase in the budget for staff security training. A new senior security coordinator will also be appointed imminently, she said. 

Lawmakers were unsatisfied. Conservative senators Jacques Grosperrin and Max Brisson repeatedly pressed Des Cars on whether she intended to step down, with Brisson ultimately walking out when she declined to answer. The hearing, chaired by centrist senator Laurent Lafon, underscored what he described afterward as a “cult of secrecy” inside the Louvre’s bureaucracy, where security information “was not shared” and key audits “took nine years to be elaborated.” 

The museum is simultaneously pursuing a sweeping $1 billion restructuring effort, Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance, backed by President Emmanuel Macron. The plan includes a new Mona Lisa entrance and broad structural repairs to address recurring leaks, aging beams, and severe crowding. Louvre administrator Kim Pham told senators the institution is expected to fund part of the overhaul through controversial measures, including a 45 percent ticket hike for non-European visitors and revenue from the Louvre Abu Dhabi partnership. 

The hearing also drew former president Jean-Luc Martinez back into the controversy. Martinez testified Tuesday that he had not reinforced the Apollo Gallery’s windows or balcony — despite a 2018 audit recommending metal bars — citing fire-safety concerns. Security experts have since rejected that explanation, and the Louvre has begun reinstalling bars under Des Cars. Responsibility for the jewel heist, senators suggested, now appears to span multiple administrations. 

Des Cars said she regretted not implementing security updates faster, but maintained that the museum’s safety has been her “absolute priority.” She submitted her resignation immediately after the theft, which was refused by the Ministry of Culture. On Friday, Culture Minister Rachida Dati appointed Philippe Jost — known for overseeing the Notre-Dame restoration — to “thoroughly reorganize” the Louvre, a move widely considered as a temporary guardianship over Des Cars’s leadership.