UPDATE: A significant water leak at the Musée du Louvre has damaged between 300 and 400 books, raising urgent concerns about the museum’s deteriorating infrastructure. This incident was reported over the weekend, highlighting the museum’s critical need for renovation and prompting three cultural unions to announce a rolling strike starting Monday, December 15, 2023.
The leak, which occurred on November 26, specifically impacted the library within the museum’s Egyptian Antiquities department. Despite the damage, Francis Steinbock, deputy director general of the museum, confirmed that “no patrimony works” were affected. However, the incident comes on the heels of a brazen theft of the nation’s crown jewels and only ten days after the temporary closure of a gallery due to structural concerns.
Amid heightened scrutiny of the Louvre’s condition, Laurence des Cars, the museum’s director, previously alerted officials to serious maintenance issues in a leaked memo to the Ministry of Culture. This led to the development of the ambitious “Nouvelle Renaissance” plan aimed at addressing structural problems and enhancing visitor experience over the next decade.
As part of the funding strategy for these renovations, the Louvre will increase entry fees for visitors from outside the European Economic Area by 45%, effective January 2026. This price hike has sparked outrage among union leaders, who labeled it “particularly criminal” and “absurd,” arguing it unfairly penalizes international visitors, particularly those from the Middle East, who will pay more to access their cultural heritage.
In response to these grievances, the three unions—Syndicat National des Musées et Domaines, Confédération Générale du Travail, and Solidaires Unitaires Démocratiques—filed an official notice with the French Minister of Culture today, demanding the cancellation of the fee increase and urging that funds from Abu Dhabi’s licensing of the Louvre brand be redirected towards urgent renovations rather than a new visitor entry area.
The unions are also advocating for better working conditions, citing long-standing issues of understaffing and overwork, which previously resulted in a labor strike in June. They are calling for increased staffing in surveillance and reception roles, emphasizing the need for frontline employees’ insights to inform upper management decisions.
As the situation develops, the Louvre remains under pressure to address both its physical and operational challenges. The potential strike could disrupt museum operations, impacting thousands of visitors.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story unfolds.
