Overview
- The French government appointed Christophe Leribault, until now head of the Palace of Versailles, to steer the Louvre with a priority to strengthen security and advance modernization.
- President Emmanuel Macron accepted Laurence des Cars’s resignation, praised it as an “act of responsibility,” and assigned her a G7 mission on cooperation among major museums.
- On October 19, 2025, intruders used lifting equipment to access the Apollo Gallery and stole eight 19th‑century crown jewels valued at €88 million, according to Paris prosecutors.
- Police have arrested multiple suspects and several have been charged, but investigators have not recovered the stolen pieces and the case remains open.
- The leadership shift follows months of strain marked by leaks, room closures, worker strikes, and a ticket‑fraud probe, as state auditors criticized underinvestment in maintenance and surveillance.