France “the laughing stock of the world”. The perpetrators of the theft at the Louvre are being identified
The fact is that security issues at the Louvre have long been the subject of disputes and even strikes by its employees. Aging buildings and their equipment, shortage of security staff, gigantic and constantly growing number of tourists – it seems that the problems mentioned by the head of the Ministry of Culture turned out to be a recipe for the “humiliation” of France in the eyes of the world.
Who was accused of being responsible for the theft at the Louvre?
What security issues were raised in the context of the Louvre?
What renovation plans has President Macron announced for the Louvre?
Why was the Louvre closed to the public after the theft?
The French far-right was quick to blame President Emmanuel Macron and his allies for the brazen theft of the French crown jewels in broad daylight, accusing them of being lenient on crime and failing to adequately protect the national heritage.
MEP Marion Marechal proposed abolishing the €200 cultural vouchers introduced by Macron [około 850 zł] offered to French high school students and redirecting these funds to protect France's “national treasures”.
She then called France “the laughingstock of the world” and called on Culture Minister Rachida Dati – who in several interviews has admitted to “failures” to secure the world's most-visited museum – to demand the resignation of the museum's director and the Louvre's security chief.
“The responsibility lies with 40 years of neglect during which problems were swept under the carpet… We have always focused on the safety of cultural institutions for visitors, and much less on the safety of works of art,” Minister Dati told M6 TV station on Monday.
Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a senior official in the country's largest far-right party, National Rally, accused France's “political and media system… with a go-to-crime ideology” as “responsible” for the theft.
In a series of angry social media posts, he claimed that “French museums, like our historic buildings and churches, are INTENTIONALLY secured in a way that is not up to the standards of the treasures they hold.”
National Rally President Jordan Bardella called the incident a “humiliation” and then asked: “How far will the collapse of the state go?”
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Alexandre Portier announced plans to request a parliamentary inquiry into the protection of French heritage and museum security, as first reported by POLITICO.
A deserted square in front of the entrance to the Louvre, which remained closed a day after the attack, Paris, France, October 20, 2025.PAP/EPA/YOAN VALAT / PAP
Security issues in the museum
Security issues have long been a point of contention at the Louvre. Trade unions have repeatedly raised alarm about what they describe as poor working conditions and a shortage of security staff, who have gone on strike several times, most recently in June, over rising visitor numbers due to mass tourism.
In an effort to modernize the Louvre's aging infrastructure, Macron announced an ambitious renovation project in January, including a new entrance and a special room for the Mona Lisa. The plan – called “Louvre – Nouvelle Renaissance” [fr. Luwr — nowy renesans] — also includes security upgrades such as next-generation surveillance cameras, improved perimeter detection systems, and a new central security control room.
On Monday, October 20, the perpetrators were still at large and the Louvre remained closed to the public for the second day in a row.
