France’s Macron accepts resignation of Louvre museum chief after jewel theft

French President Emmanuel Macron ​accepted the resignation on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) ‌of the head of Paris’ Louvre ​museum, which has ⁠been grappling with the fallout from a high-profile jewel heist and rolling strikes.

Laurence ‌des Cars tendered her resignation, which Mr. Macron accepted, “praising an ‌act of responsibility at ‌a ⁠time when the world’s largest museum ⁠needs calm and a strong new impetus to successfully carry out major projects ​involving security ‌and modernization”, his office said.

Laurence des Cars has faced intense criticism since burglars made off in October with ‌jewels worth an estimated $102 ​million that are still missing, exposing glaring security gaps at ⁠the world’s most-visited museum.

Strikes over pay and conditions since December have ‌also led to regular closures and added to a list of woes that included two water leaks as well as a massive ticket fraud investigation.

Critics ‌, including the state auditors’ office, have ​questioned the museum’s low spending on security and infrastructure maintenance while ⁠it made lavish purchases of new ⁠artwork, only a quarter of which is open to ‌the public, and spent heavily on post-pandemic relaunch projects.