2026-03-05
In recent years, we have heard more about problems at the Louvre than about any of their recent exhibitions.
On 24 February, Laurence des Cars, who had been director of the Louvre since 2021, resigned. Christophe Leribault, former director of Versailles, was chosen as her successor.
As Roxana Azimi, a reporter for Le Monde, pointed out, this is the second time that Leribault has been chosen as a ‘crisis’ successor. His term at Versailles did not begin until 2024, when he replaced Catherine Pégard, who had headed the institution for 12 years.
What was the reason for des Cars' dismissal? It is worth noting that this was not a sudden decision.
The former director had already submitted her resignation, but President Emmanuel Macron had not yet agreed to it until recently.
The change did not occur directly as a result of the theft that took place in October last year. To understand its context, we need to go back a few months, when numerous infrastructural problems were revealed. According to media reports, these remained neglected even after the announcement of a costly renovation of the building.