Louvre Museum faces years-long battle to fix security gaps
France’s Louvre Museum will need several more years to complete long-overdue security upgrades, with full implementation not expected before 2032, according to a new report by the Cour des Comptes, the country’s state auditor.
The findings come just weeks after a dramatic $102 million heist, which exposed major flaws in the world’s most-visited museum’s security systems, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The audit revealed that as of 2024, only 39% of the museum’s exhibition rooms were equipped with surveillance cameras. A comprehensive security overhaul was first recommended in 2015, but tenders for the work were only launched late last year.
“It will take several years to complete the project,” the report said, underscoring the slow pace of reform at the Paris landmark.
The audit also pointed to excessive spending on art acquisitions and post-pandemic relaunch projects, while ticketing fraud and inefficiencies have cost the museum millions in lost revenue.
Among its 10 key recommendations, the Cour des Comptes urged the Louvre to:
Limit new acquisitions,
Raise ticket prices,
Modernize its digital and security systems,
Strengthen internal controls and governance.
The recent robbery — in which four suspects stole jewels worth $102 million in broad daylight — has intensified calls for reform. None of the stolen treasures have yet been recovered.
“This theft only reinforces the concerns raised in the report,” said Pierre Moscovici, head of the audit office, calling the incident a “deafening alarm.”
In a written response, Culture Minister Rachida Dati backed the auditor’s conclusions and urged “swift corrective measures.”
Louvre director Laurence des Cars said she agreed with most of the recommendations but stressed that a broader “transformation plan” was needed to address the museum’s structural challenges.
French authorities have promised to install anti-intrusion systems and vehicle barriers by the end of the year. A new Mona Lisa exhibition space is also being developed as part of a wider modernization effort.
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