France tries to recover from what is already a “immense wound” and difficult to repair after the ‘robbery of the century’, which occurred last Sunday in broad daylight at the Louvre Museum. The authorities insist that they are professionals and warn that not even the most important art gallery in the world is exempt “from the growing violence of our society.” But in the search for the factors that could influence this robo express, the unions point out the budget cuts in recent years as part of a chain of security flaws which allowed the thieves take just 7 minutes to enter through a window and steal the jewelry most important of the museum’s Napoleonic collection.
The cuts date back almost a decade, according to unionsbut it has been in the last three years when the austerity plan has intensified. “In 10 years, the museum has lost 190 positions. security y surveillance; This represents a 15% cut in the workforce,” lamented Elise Muller, head of security at the Louvre and representative of SUD Cultura.
Las subsidies fees to the Louvre have fallen from 111 million euros in 2022 to just 96 million euros in 2024, according to figures from the Ministry of Culture. What might seem like a simple accounting restructuring translated into important consequences for the museum’s security: reduction in security staff, savings in maintenance tasks and outsourcing of key services. It was then, when the president of the museum commissioned a first report, warning about the “decline of the museum.”
Uncontrolled deficit
Unfortunately for the Louvre, France is unable to recover financially. The country’s accounts do not add up and the public deficit is out of control. The Government is forced to increase adjustments and culture is not exempt from them. He last snip has affected several institutions, including the Paris Operawith a cut of 6 million euros; the Comédie Française, of 5 million, and the Louvre Museumof 3 million, according to government data. These budget reductions are part of the 10 billion euros of “immediate” savings announced in mid-February 2024 by the Treasuryafter the escalation of the public deficit in 2023, which reached 5.5% of GDP, above the expectations set by the Government that year of 4.9%.
Within these cuts, the idea of privatize entire sectors of the cultural sphere, in particular Louvre Schoolthe Paris Opera, the Museo d’Orsay and the Orangery Museumwith savings of 3,900 million euros. And although these measures were finally discarded after the commotion caused, they are still on the table.
The exhibition celebrating 150 years of Impressionism in Paris, at the Orsay Museum. / EFE
A cry for help from the museum
years of austerity They drove the president of the Louvre to despair, Laurence des Carswho decided to make public a letter addressed to the Minister of Culture, Rachida Datawhere he expressed his concern about the state of the museum. Leaks, leaks, floods, humidity, lack of personnel, crowds… A cry for help that led to the president Emmanuel Macron to visit the facilities and present a remodeling and expansion plan. “The traffic and safety conditions do not allow for the best possible visit to this establishment (…). In addition, the working conditions have also become difficult for the workers,” the president insisted during the announcement of the “Louvre renaissance plan” last January.
Des Cars has now pointed to cuts and lack of policy vision as direct causes of the museum’s degradation. “I warned him,” he said this Wednesday in front of the Senate Culture Commission after the theft. However, unions maintain that part of the responsibility must be assumed by management. “The Louvre is in a state lamentablethe visiting conditions are deplorable and the deterioration of the place endangers the collections,” the union stated in a statement. South Solidaritieswhere he insists that the museum’s conditions have deteriorated since Des Cars’ arrival.
“Due to a lack of staff, the rooms close regularly and the working conditions of the agents deteriorate, with temperatures sometimes touching 10 or 12 degrees in winter and exceeding 30 degrees in summer,” he declared. Christian Galani of the CGT-Culture, who has reiterated his complaint on the elimination of “more than 200 jobs in 10 years.”
A budget of more than 300 million
The Louvre Museum has a budget between 300 and 350 million euros per year. In 2024, he obtained 126 million euros for the Ticketingin addition to the income for image rights, patronage or parallel activities in which the institution is involved.
The previous year, it generated 161 million euros in own income – ticket sales, sponsorships and rental of spaces -, to which were added 83 million euros in income from brand licenses, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
A large amount of money which, according to the director, is still insufficient to maintain “the vast heritage of the Louvre Museum” adding costs for air conditioning, salaries, maintenance, cleaning, or security. A space National Heritage, which has limitations when making structural modifications, making it difficult to modernize security systems or fully execute the remodeling plan. “There are no delays in the modernization of the Louvre, but rather an obsolete infrastructure that does not allow the integration of modern equipment,” the president explained before the Senate.
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