The director of the Louvre Museum resigned; Macron calls it “An act of responsibility”

The director of the Louvre Museum, Laurence des Cars, has submitted her resignation following the numerous crises the museum has recently faced, such as the theft last October, and her resignation has been accepted by the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

“The Head of State accepted it and described it as an act of responsibility at a time when the world’s largest museum needs tranquility and a new impetus to carry out important security, modernization and the Louvre – Nouvelle Renaissance project,” he explained in a statement.

The management of Des Cars has been at the center of controversy since the scandal over the spectacular theft suffered by the Louvre on October 19, 2025, when eight jewels of the French Crown of incalculable patrimonial value were stolen, which have not been recovered despite the arrest of the alleged perpetrators. That episode generated a serious image crisis and revealed significant deficiencies in the security system of this public institution.

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Macron thanked Des Cars, 59, for her work and commitment since she took over the reins of the world’s most visited museum in 2021 and indicated that he intends to commission her with a future mission to promote cooperation among the major museums of the G7 countries, of which France holds the rotating presidency this year.

The theft was far from being the last crisis, as the following month the museum was forced to close a gallery of Greek antiquities and several offices after the fragility of some of the beams on one side of the so-called Sully quadrangle was found. That same month there was a flood in the library of Egyptian antiquities due to the breakdown of some pipes, which were known to be obsolete, and several documents and works were damaged. The accumulation of deficiencies also generated strong discontent among the workers, who organized a strike to demand changes and better conditions in the final stretch of the year, which prevented the opening of its doors for several days. The strike was suspended at Christmas, but was resumed at the beginning of 2026 with new closures.

In February, the Louvre’s management announced that a raid had been carried out at the museum after a “large-scale” fraud network was detected in the sale of tickets and tour guides. Just one day after the announcement of this fraud, a new flood forced the closure of several rooms as a result of the rupture of another pipe.