Overview
- The museum did not open Monday after workers began a renewable strike, with roughly 400 employees voting in an assembly to walk out and the Louvre posting notices that it was closed.
- Union demands include scrapping the January plan to raise non‑EEA ticket prices from €22 to €32, creating about 200 security posts, boosting pay, and changing governance.
- The action follows a series of failures, including the October 19 theft of crown jewels that remain missing, a November gallery closure over fragile beams, and a late‑November pipe leak that damaged hundreds of books.
- Culture Minister Rachida Dati held talks with unions, with officials citing progress on new full‑time hires and reversing a planned €5.7 million funding cut, though unions say written guarantees are still lacking.
- The Culture Ministry warned that a prolonged closure could cost about €400,000 per day, as Senate inquiries continue and Jost prepares recommendations due in late February 2026.