The French president, Emmanuel Macron, accepted this Tuesday, February 24, the resignation of the president of the Louvre Museum, Laurence des Cars. The official had been in the spotlight since the astonishing theft of French crown jewels last October.

First modification: 02/24/2026 - 19:23 Last modification: 02/24/2026 - 19:24

The director of the Louvre Museum, Laurence des Cars, presented her resignation to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who accepted it, calling it an "act of responsibility", as announced by the Elysee Palace this Tuesday, February 24.

The place, affected in particular by the astonishing robbery on October 19, "needs" a "new boost," added the Presidency.

"The head of state accepted it, calling it an act of responsibility at a time when the largest museum in the world needs calm and a strong new push to carry out important security and modernization projects, as well as the 'Louvre - New Renaissance' project," declared the Elysee Palace.

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Macron, who appointed this renowned art historian to head the Louvre at the end of 2021, thanked her for her work and commitment over recent years and announced that he would entrust her with a cooperation mission between the main museums of the G7 countries.

Obsolete facilities, ticket fraud, strikes...

Laurence des Cars, 59, former president of the Musée d'Orsay, had been in an extremely vulnerable situation since the Louvre robbery, during which eight French crown jewels were stolen in broad daylight, exposing major security breaches at the world's most visited museum.

Laurence des Cars initially defended her actions at the helm, but was destabilized by the Louvre's alarming security audits, which she only learned about after the robbery.

"In retrospect, we can see that structural weaknesses persisted. I understand that this raises questions," he admitted on December 1 in an interview with the local newspaper 'Le Parisien'.

Its position was further weakened by a series of setbacks that have plagued the Louvre since the theft, forcing it to close a gallery due to the dilapidated state of its facilities and become the victim of widespread ticket fraud.

Internally, their actions were also harshly questioned by staff, who since mid-December have been immersed in the longest labor dispute in the museum's history, protesting their working conditions.

Laurence des Cars' mandate ended in 2026.

This article was adapted from its original French version

With AFP

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