PARIS:Employees at the Louvre Museum have voted to extend an ongoing strike that has disrupted normal operations at the world’s most visited museum, although the landmark partially reopened on Wednesday to allow limited visitor access.
The museum confirmed that visitors were permitted to enter through a restricted “masterpiece route,” featuring iconic works such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the ancient sculpture Venus de Milo. However, many galleries remained closed due to staff shortages linked to the industrial action.
“Due to a strike, some rooms in the Louvre Museum are closed. We apologize for any inconvenience,” the museum said in a statement on social media.
Unionized workers are protesting chronic understaffing, the deterioration of the historic building, and recent management decisions. Tensions have intensified following a high-profile daylight theft of crown jewels in October, which exposed serious security lapses at the museum.
The decision to continue the strike was taken during a morning general assembly, after employees had unanimously approved the walkout earlier in the week. The museum had remained closed on Tuesday, its regular weekly closure day.
Culture Ministry officials held emergency talks with union representatives on Monday, proposing to cancel a planned $6.7 million budget cut for 2026, open new recruitment for gallery guards and visitor services staff, and increase employee compensation. Union leaders, however, said the measures did not go far enough to address their concerns.
Louvre President Laurence des Cars was scheduled to appear before the French Senate’s culture committee later Wednesday, as lawmakers continue to investigate the museum’s security failures and broader operational challenges.
