The Louvre Museum in Paris, France, is the world's most visited museum. Now, the museum is in crisis, facing resource shortages and deteriorating working conditions. On December 8th, approximately 200 union representatives at the Louvre voted unanimously to strike in protest against poor working conditions, rising ticket prices for non-European tourists, and security lapses leading to jewelry thefts. The rotating strikes are scheduled to begin on December 15th and could force the Louvre to close during the busy Christmas holiday season at the end of December.
According to AFP, the rotating strike will begin on December 15. Approximately 200 union members from three unions (the General Confederation of Labour, the French Democratic Union, and the Southern Union) have submitted strike notices to the French Ministry of Culture and shared them with the media. The strike notices cite frequent closures of parts of the Louvre due to "staff shortages, technical malfunctions, and aging buildings." The notices also state: "The theft on October 19, 2025, highlights the shortcomings in long-reported priorities." The unions have stated they no longer wish to negotiate with Louvre Director Laurence de Carles.
Louvre entrance
Union employees are reportedly demanding that resources be focused on improving building facilities and ensuring the safety of the museum, its collections, visitors, and staff. Christian Gallagher, an official representing the Louvre's employees, told Euronews, "We are in a dilapidated museum with obvious security vulnerabilities. The employees unanimously voted to strike, and the planned rotating strikes could force the museum to close."
On October 30th of this year, the Louvre union issued a statement listing their grievances against the Louvre leadership, condemning the malfunction of security equipment, and complaining about "a top-down management system that ignores employee warnings and spreads distorted information."
On October 19, Louvre director Robert de Carles was already under immense pressure due to the theft of jewelry from the Louvre. Official reports had already criticized the museum leadership for neglecting infrastructure maintenance. In the aftermath, staff booed the director at a meeting, and according to some reports, they also staged a brief, unauthorized strike. A month later, on November 19, the Louvre was forced to close the Campanile galleries, which housed ancient Greek artifacts, citing safety concerns with the supporting beams.
The Louvre heist: the elevator used by the suspect.
On December 6, Louvre Deputy Director Francis Steinbeck told French television station BFM that a water leak also occurred at the museum on November 26, damaging hundreds of publications in the museum library dedicated to Egyptian artifacts. He stated that staff had confirmed "300 to 400 items were damaged," adding that "the inventory is still underway." The damaged items reportedly include 19th and 20th-century theatrical productions and documents. The museum stated that the incident was caused by a valve being opened, leading to a leak in a water pipe, which was originally scheduled for replacement next year.
A Louvre staff representative told *The Art Newspaper* that leaks had been discovered in the museum as early as last spring, but requests for emergency measures were rejected. However, the €275,000 renovation project on the management offices upstairs in the library proceeded as planned. Deputy Director Steinbeck told the media that the poor condition of the equipment was "an open secret." Last June, the Louvre closed for a day due to a staff strike protesting "deteriorating infrastructure and working conditions."
Furthermore, the union also expressed dissatisfaction with the Louvre's new entrance project, initiated by Director de Carlsson and supported by French President Macron. The new renovation project, titled "The Louvre New Renaissance," aims to provide a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa with limited-time admission and will also construct a new entrance. The project is expected to be completed in 2031 and will cost approximately €700-800 million. According to the French Court of Auditors, the project is "financially unfeasible," and all priorities should be placed on protecting the Louvre's collection, which has already suffered "considerable delays."
The Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati stated that an administrative investigation revealed a "long-standing underestimation of theft risks" and "insufficient development of security infrastructure." The Art Newspaper reported that a report written by De Carles before the October theft showed that during his four-year term, the budget for theft and fire prevention accounted for a very small percentage of the overall budget, only 0.3%. According to the Louvre and the French Ministry of Culture, the museum is working to install 100 new CCTV cameras to address security issues, but these cameras will not be operational until the end of 2026.
On June 16, 2025, the Louvre experienced a rare shutdown, which resulted in the museum being closed for about four hours, leaving visitors stranded outside.
According to Artnews, on December 3, the French Parliament announced an investigation into the condition of the Louvre Museum. The strike could also lead to the Louvre's closure during the busy Christmas holiday season at the end of December.
