The French Court of Auditors has delivered a scathing assessment of the Louvre Museum's management, revealing that the world-renowned Parisian institution has prioritized "visible and attractive operations at the expense of maintaining and renovating buildings and technical installations, particularly those related to safety and security." The damning report, published on November 6, comes nearly three weeks after the globally shocking theft of crown jewels that rocked the art world on October 19.

The audit, which examined the museum's management between 2018 and 2024, emphasized that essential investments are "indispensable to ensure the institution's sustainable operation." Despite having abundant resources, the museum faces "a wall of investments it is unable to finance" due to its failure to properly prioritize its numerous projects, according to the Court of Auditors.

Pierre Moscovici, the First President of the Court of Auditors, stressed during a press conference that the theft of the Crown Jewels serves as "an deafening alarm signal about the very insufficient pace" of security equipment renovation at the museum. He specifically criticized the inaction that followed a comprehensive security audit conducted between 2015 and 2017, which had provided "a precise assessment of the system's flaws" and formulated clear recommendations.

"Nearly ten years later, the Louvre Museum has not been able to move beyond the technical study stage" regarding the audit's recommendations, Moscovici lamented. This prolonged delay in implementing crucial security upgrades has left one of the world's most valuable art collections vulnerable to criminal activity.

The Louvre's management responded by stating they accept "most of the recommendations" made by the Court of Auditors, while arguing that the report "fails to recognize" several of their actions, particularly regarding security measures. The museum's administration contends that "managing the world's largest and most visited museum cannot be fairly judged unless this judgment is based on the long term."

The museum's leadership also expressed regret that the report detailed the exact number of surveillance cameras in its galleries, potentially compromising security further. In a preliminary report reviewed by AFP the day after the burglary, the Court had already highlighted "the persistent delay" in the museum's deployment of security equipment to protect its artworks.

Laurence des Cars, the Louvre's President-Director who has led the institution since 2021, disputed these conclusions when she appeared before the Senate's Cultural Affairs Committee on October 22. "There is no delay in implementing the Louvre's security master plan," des Cars declared, referring to the €80 million ($87 million) security upgrade program. She is scheduled to hold an emergency board meeting on Friday to address the ongoing crisis.

In its final report, the Court identified "a considerable delay in the pace of investments" in the face of "accelerated deterioration" of the museum, which welcomed nine million visitors in 2024, 80% of whom were foreign tourists. The massive renovation project championed by President Emmanuel Macron is now estimated to cost €1.15 billion ($1.25 billion), with €481 million ($524 million) required over the next 10 years.

This ambitious initiative, announced in January by the French President and dubbed the "New Renaissance of the Louvre," has seen its budget balloon from the original estimate of approximately €700-800 million ($763-872 million). According to the Court of Auditors, even this increased budget represents "a low estimate given the museum's upgrade needs," highlighting the scale of infrastructure challenges facing the historic institution as it struggles to balance public access with artifact security.