In wake of brazen heist, Louvre criticized for favoring showy initiatives over providing security

ISTANBUL

Following a brazen daylight heist last month, France's audit office on Thursday criticized the Louvre Museum for favoring showy initiatives over ensuring safety and security.

"The Court found that the museum prioritized visible and attractive initiatives – such as art acquisitions and exhibition redesigns – at the expense of building maintenance and renovation, particularly regarding technical, safety, and security installations," the Court of Accounts said in a report.

It said the museum fell "significantly behind" in upgrading its technical infrastructure and restoring the palace itself.

The office said that the museum allocated a total of €87 million ($100 million) to maintenance, compliance work, and palace restoration, which is "half the amount" spent on exhibition renovations and art acquisitions.

"It is therefore essential for the museum to be able to prioritize its projects, focusing its investments on those that are crucial to securing its future," it underscored.

The court also stressed that the museum pursued an "ambitious policy" of expanding its collections, acquiring 2,754 works over eight years, even while fewer than one in four are currently on display.

On Oct. 19, a group of thieves parked a stolen truck outside the Louvre, used a furniture lift to reach the first floor, and broke into one of the museum’s most ornate rooms.

Within minutes, they fled on scooters with royal jewels, including an emerald and diamond necklace once given by Napoleon Bonaparte to his second wife, Austria’s Marie-Louise, and a diadem belonging to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III.

Four people have been charged over the theft so far, including a 37-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman whose DNA was reportedly found on the lift used in the heist.