France's Louvre staff strike shuts world’s most visited museum

The Louvre Museum in Paris closed its doors as staff launched a strike over working conditions, disappointing thousands of visitors just weeks before the Christmas holidays. The action comes nearly two months after a daylight robbery saw crown jewels valued at $102 million stolen from the world-famous institution.

Around 400 employees voted unanimously to continue the strike at a general meeting, the CGT and CFDT unions announced. Workers are demanding additional staff and measures to address overcrowding, highlighting ongoing concerns about safety and working conditions, Le Monde reports.

“We are closed,” a security agent told visitors in the morning of December 15. “Come back in a few hours.”

Tourists expressed frustration at the closure. “I’m very disappointed, because the Louvre was the main reason for our visit in Paris, because we wanted to see the Mona Lisa,” said 37-year-old Minsoo Kim from Seoul, who had traveled to Paris for his honeymoon. Natalia Brown, 28, from London, added: “At the same time, I understand why they’re doing it, it’s just unfortunate timing for us.”

Christian Galani of the CGT union said the strike would attract broad participation across the museum’s 2,200-strong workforce. “We’re going to have a lot more strikers than usual,” he explained. “Normally, it’s front-of-house and security staff. This time, there are scientists, documentarians, collections managers, even curators and colleagues in the workshops telling us they plan to go on strike.”

The grievances reflect deep staff discontent, with reception and security personnel citing understaffing and the challenges of managing the vast crowds that flock to the Louvre each year. The museum, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, regularly exceeds its planned visitor capacity, and unions describe navigating the site as an “obstacle course” fraught with hazards, long queues, and inadequate facilities.

Meanwhile, documentarians and curators have voiced growing concern over the museum’s physical state. A recent water leak and the closure of a gallery due to structural issues underscore the challenges of maintaining the centuries-old former royal palace. “The building is not in a good state,” admitted chief Louvre architect Francois Chatillon during a parliamentary hearing last month.

Museum director Laurence des Cars, under pressure from persistent calls for her resignation, had previously warned the government in January about infrastructure issues, including leaks, overheating, and a declining visitor experience. Following her memo, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a major renovation plan for the Louvre, estimated at €700–800 million ($940 million).

Security concerns remain acute after the October 19 heist. Two intruders used a portable extendable ladder to access the gallery containing the crown jewels, cutting through a glass door with angle grinders in front of stunned visitors. Investigations revealed that only one security camera was operational outside the targeted area, guards lacked sufficient screens to monitor coverage in real time, and police were initially misdirected.

A number of security audits over the past decade, including a 2019 review by Van Cleef & Arpels, had identified the riverside balcony targeted by the thieves as a vulnerable entry point—exactly as exploited during the theft.

By Vafa Guliyeva