Paris, France: Trade unions at the Louvre museum in Paris have announced a strike starting Monday, demanding urgent renovations, increased staffing, and protesting a rise in ticket prices for most non-EU visitors, including British and American tourists.
The museum, one of the world’s most visited, could face partial or full closures during one of its busiest periods if its 2,100-strong workforce votes to continue striking.
The Louvre Museum has faced a tumultuous few months, including a high-profile jewel heist, a water leak, and safety concerns over a gallery ceiling.
On 19 October, a gang of four raided the museum during daylight, stealing French crown jewels valued at an estimated €88m (£77m) in just seven minutes before escaping on scooters. Although four men were arrested, the stolen jewels have not been recovered.
In November, a water leak damaged 300–400 journals, books, and documents in the Egyptian department. Subsequently, nine rooms containing ancient Greek ceramics were closed due to fears over ceiling safety.
All three Louvre trade unions, CGT, Sud, and CFDT, declared a rolling strike, stating that staff feel like the last bastion before collapse.’ They argued that the jewel theft highlighted years of underinvestment, staffing cuts, and neglect at the museum, which welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year.
The unions also criticized a 45 percent ticket price increase for non-EU visitors starting in January, which will raise the entry fee to €32 for countries including the US, UK, and China, some of the museum’s largest visitor groups. Christian Galani, a CGT union official, called this ‘unacceptable discrimination,’ saying it forces visitors to pay more to see a partially inaccessible and understaffed museum.
Staffing remains a major concern, with 200 jobs, many in security, cut since 2015. Galani, who works in the Louvre museum’s night-time security control room, said the strike was the only way to address longstanding problems that the jewel theft exposed, citing neglected renovations and inadequate security measures.
A state auditor recently reported that security upgrades at the Louvre had proceeded at a ‘woefully inadequate pace,’ prioritizing ‘high-profile’ operations over protecting the collection. Senior police officer Guy Tubiana, who advised on the post-theft investigation, described numerous malfunctions that created significant risks, calling the situation ‘stunning.’
The culture ministry’s preliminary investigation found a ‘chronic underestimation’ of break-in risks and underinvestment in security, according to Culture Minister Rachida Dati. Philippe Jost, who oversaw the Notre-Dame cathedral rebuild, is set to study a ‘deep reorganisation’ of the Louvre next month.
Louvre Director Laurence des Cars, along with union representatives, had previously warned about deteriorating conditions and maintenance costs in the vast former royal palace. In January, Cars described visiting the overcrowded building as a ‘physical ordeal.’
President Emmanuel Macron announced a major project to build a new entrance and give the Mona Lisa its own room, reflecting broader plans to address the Louvre museum’s challenges.
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