Details about the break-in at the Louvre Museum were provided on Monday morning by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, and while an emergency meeting of government officials with the Museum's security department has been scheduled, which will be attended by both the Minister of Culture and the Minister of the Interior, Loren Nunes. At the same time, the Museum's management announced that it will remain closed today.
According to what Dati revealed, the perpetrators knew exactly where they were targeting and acted with absolute speed and organization.
Speaking to the CNews television network, the French minister said the burglars "remained in the room for 3 minutes and 57 seconds – or 3 minutes and 52, at most. They went straight to the displays, they knew exactly what they wanted and they acted with exceptional efficiency."
The minister also reported that "one of the perpetrators tried to set fire to the elevator" through which they entered the Apollo Gallery, a fact that - as she said - "left us significant traces at the crime scene."
The answer to security gaps
Referring to criticism that the window through which the burglars entered was not armored, Dati responded: "They used a circular saw, which works like an explosive. Even if the glass was armored, it wouldn't have held up."
Dati also clarified that the alarm "was activated normally, but it does not sound inside the room — only in the museum's security control center."
As he explained, the guards' priority was the safety of visitors.
"A representative of the Sud union said yesterday that in security procedures the first duty is to protect human life — to close the doors and remove the public. That is exactly what happened," Dati stressed, defending the stance of the museum employees.
Asked about the security situation at the Louvre, Dati defended the government's actions, saying that measures have been taken, but "it takes time" to implement them.
“A security audit was carried out in 2022, a recommendation was submitted in 2024, and then the president announced the “Louvre Renaissance” plan,” said the Minister of Culture.
And he added: "160 million euros were allocated for security and now we have started to implement the measures," he added, clarifying that the implementation "takes time."
"We failed" is the position expressed by the French government – Possible involvement of a foreign country
“We failed… that’s for sure.” With this phrase, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin admitted on Monday morning, during an interview he gave to the France Inter radio station, the state’s inability to prevent the great Hollywood-style break-in at the Louvre Museum.
Authorities "failed" to prevent the burglary and theft of eight royal jewels, which sends "a very negative image of France" around the world, Darmanin said.
"What is certain is that we failed," said the French minister, "because the criminals managed to take a freight elevator out onto a public road," climb up and in a few minutes take priceless jewels.
In the same context, Culture Minister Rachida Dati did not rule out the involvement of a foreign country in the burglary. As she told the CNews channel, the prosecutor responsible for investigating the Louvre robbery "does not rule out any case, including one linked to foreign countries."
“Everyone was shocked and very moved,” added the French Minister of Culture, who likened this “shocking result” to what the “Notre Dame fire” caused in 2019, because it “affects culture, our common heritage, our cohesion and our cultural values.”
For his part, former French President François Hollande called for "confrontations not to be ignited" at this very difficult time for the country, which, in any case, has been in political turmoil recently.
"When we are attacked, the first reaction is to be united" and not to "start confrontations," the former president said in an interview with BFMTV, responding, in essence, to the arrows fired by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, who spoke of "humiliation."
Priceless jewels "flew wings" from the Apollo Gallery
The unprecedented incident occurred on Sunday morning at the Louvre, when four robbers climbed a ladder into the iconic museum and, in just seven minutes, removed priceless jewels from the Apollo Gallery, where the French royal treasures are kept.
How the Louvre Museum was broken into
The organized gang of four "commandos" entered the museum through a window on the first floor, using an escalator from the Seine side, at the "François Mitterrand" pier.
The attackers breached a door and broke into two armored security displays, removing eight objects of "priceless cultural value," according to the French Ministry of Culture.
The stolen jewelry
The stolen items include the famous sapphire necklace of Queen Maria-Amalia and Queen Hortense, consisting of eight sapphires and 631 diamonds, as well as the brooch of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, decorated with almost 2.000 diamonds.
The robbers, however, were forced to abandon the crown of Empress Eugenia, which consists of 1.354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, as, according to the museum, they were surprised by the immediate intervention of the guards. The object was recovered, although damaged.
Experienced and possibly foreign perpetrators
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he had "good hopes" that the perpetrators would be identified "very soon."
The investigation into "theft by an organized gang and the establishment of a criminal organization" has been assigned to the Crime Suppression Directorate. The minister spoke of "experienced" robbers who may be "foreigners."
Paris prosecutor Laure Becchio said it was possible that a “foreign power” was behind the robbery and ordered the operation. President Emmanuel Macron pledged that “the works will be recovered and those responsible will be brought to justice.”
The Culture Ministry said the alarm system worked properly and that the five employees at the gallery at the time responded immediately, following security protocols. However, the investigation will examine the chain of responsibility, as this is the biggest robbery at the Louvre since the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911.
Anger and accusations of neglect of safety
Louvre President Laurence de Carr addressed staff at noon on Sunday, but was met with strong criticism from employees who accused management of a lack of precaution. The CFDT-Culture and SUD-Culture unions called for an independent audit of security measures and reinforcement of security personnel, noting that the plan to upgrade the security system has been postponed to the period 2025-2029.
According to information, the Apollo Gallery – the most visited and vulnerable of the museum – is now guarded by only five employees, one less than in the past, while at the time of the robbery there were only four, due to a morning break. According to sources, the perpetrators took advantage of this fact to act undisturbed.
"Priceless but unmarketable" jewels
Gemstone experts estimate the material value of the jewels at millions of euros, but stress that the objects are “absolutely unmarketable.” Expert Alexandre Léger explained that “although the diamonds are worth more than 500 euros per carat, it is possible that the jewels will be dismantled and resold illegally.”
The robbery revives fears about the security of French museums, a few years after "Spider-Man" Vrezan Tomic, who removed five priceless works from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris in 2010. None of those creations have been found to this day.
Source: protothema.gr
