Overview
- The Court of Auditors says the Louvre prioritized acquisitions and exhibition makeovers from 2018 to 2024 over upkeep and security, citing €105.4 million spent on art purchases versus €26.7 million on technical systems.
- Auditors report slow expansion of surveillance coverage—only 64% of the wing housing the Mona Lisa had cameras in 2024—and note a fire-safety plan remains unfinished two decades after adoption.
- The report revises the “Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance” modernization to €1.15 billion and urges the museum to reset investment priorities, with Court president Pierre Moscovici calling the October heist a stark alarm.
- Investigators number more than 100, four of seven detained suspects remain in custody under charges, and authorities report no trace yet of the stolen jewels.
- Media accounts say suspects told police they acted on order for a foreign buyer, and a prior ANSSI audit flagged weak CCTV passwords such as “LOUVRE,” which the museum declined to comment on.