Concentrated power at the top, insufficient controls and underestimated risks: what emerges from the preliminary conclusions of the commission of inquiry into the most visited museum in the world
Four months after the largest theft committed at the Louvre, the preliminary conclusions conducted by the parliamentary commission of inquiry into museums have been shared. And what emerges is a less than reassuring picture: the most visited museum in the world would be “a state within a state”, with “inadequate management”.
«Systemic deficiencies»
The president of the commission of inquiry into museums, Les Républicains (LR) MP Alexandre Portier, declared yesterday in a press conference that “the theft at the Louvre” on 19 October “is not an accident, but reveals systemic shortcomings of the museum” and “a denial of the risks”. The deputy and rapporteur of the commission, Alexis Corbière, added that the museum “has become a state within the state” and functioned as if “it did not have to account for the management of public money”. Their statements accompany an interim report on the theft, which is nothing more than a summary of their activities after 70 hearings. The conclusions will instead be shared in May.
The accusations against the director of the Louvre
The director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, ends up in the commission’s sights. The woman will be heard next week together with the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati. According to Corbière, holding the reins of the museum is “a hyper-powerful presidency that does not exist in other institutions”. “It is clear that there is a series of shortcomings”, such as lack of security, “which in many countries and institutions would have already led to resignations some time ago”. It should be remembered that Laurence des Cars, appointed director of the Louvre in 2021 by French President Emmanuel Macron, resigned immediately after the theft. But the head of the Elysée had rejected them.
Lack of supervision by the Ministry of Culture
The shadows also concern the Minister of Culture: according to the two deputies, Rachida Dati did not carry out her supervisory role adequately and will therefore have to explain the reasons for the lack of control on Monday. In this regard, Portier underlined: «It is clear that the supervisory authority, the Ministry of Culture, must regain control of the management» also because a third of the Louvre’s budget comes from public funds. He continued his invective, also adding that «the drift has led public authorities to often give priority to the ephemeral, the festive, what gives prominence».
The Louvre was partially closed on Monday
Trouble never comes alone: after the Louvre suffered reputational damage following the theft of the French crown jewels, strikes do not help restore its prestige. On Monday the museum was in fact partially closed due to the strike called by the staff to denounce working conditions. And therefore, as reported by France 24, during the day it was only possible to visit the so-called “masterpiece route” which includes the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. Furthermore, since the start of the strike on December 15, the museum has been completely closed four times.
The 10 million euro scam
But that’s not all: two weeks ago nine people, including tour guides and employees, ended up under investigation in the context of the alleged fraud in the sale of museum tickets. The criminal activities allegedly continued for a decade, causing a loss of more than 10 million euros for the Louvre. The scheme involved the reuse of tickets by tour guides for different groups of visitors, with the alleged complicity of some museum employees who were paid in cash to evade controls. According to investigators, with this scam, as many as 20 groups of tourists have been brought within the walls of the museum every day over the last ten years. And the suspicion is that the criminal network invested the proceeds of the scam in properties between Dubai and France.
