Overview

• Front-of-house staff from reception agents to security personnel walked off the job on June 16, keeping the Louvre closed all day and into Tuesday.
• Union leaders say the spontaneous strike targets overcrowding, understaffing and deteriorating facilities that strain both staff and artwork.
• Last year’s 8.7 million visitors more than doubled the museum’s intended capacity despite a 30,000-visitor daily cap, testing basic amenities.
• President Macron’s €700–800 million, ten-year ‘Louvre New Renaissance’ plan unveiled in January has drawn criticism for failing to address urgent needs.
• Some strikers may reopen a limited ‘masterpiece route’ to key works on Wednesday, with a full reopening possible later that day.