Overview

• Employees walked off their posts on June 16 in a spontaneous protest against unmanageable visitor flows, chronic understaffing and deteriorating working conditions.
• A four-hour negotiation between staff and management secured limited immediate concessions and allowed the museum to reopen at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time.
• Staff note that last year’s 8.7 million visitors—more than double the building’s intended capacity—and a daily cap of 30,000 have turned routine operations into a physical ordeal.
• A leaked memo from Louvre President Laurence des Cars warned that water leaks, temperature fluctuations and inadequate amenities threaten both the collection and visitor safety.
• President Macron’s €700–800 million “Louvre New Renaissance” plan aims to modernize galleries and add a new entrance by decade’s end, but staff say cuts to state subsidies over the past ten years leave urgent needs unmet.