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Transcript
00:00Priceless crown jewels. Around the world everyone's talking about the priceless
00:05jewels stolen, but running the museum they came from comes with a very real
00:10price tag. The Louvre has long been under pressure with reports of stretched
00:15staff, aging systems and a heavy economic cost. Last year more than 8.7 million
00:22people passed through its doors, but when the museum was refurbished in the 1980s
00:27it was designed for less than half of that number. Even with ticket prices rising
00:33to 22 euros it struggles to keep up with demand. Long queues continue and staff
00:39have protested fatigue and heavy workloads. A state auditor report obtained by
00:45French media due to be published next month has criticized persistent and
00:49considerable delays in updating security equipment and warned that many rooms
00:54have inadequate security camera protection. Staff say security has long
01:00been an issue.
01:05Alerts have been issued for months and months by all the safety and security
01:08personnel, in particular to highlight the flaws and problems that we're facing daily.
01:13The investigation will provide individual responsibilities and will likely
01:17demonstrate a number of dysfunctions. We know that there are a number of
01:22failures that have existed for some time. The Louvre generates nearly 938 million
01:29euros a year for the French economy and supports up to 18,000 jobs. Back in January
01:36the president launched a new renaissance project to modernize it. The multi-year
01:40redevelopment plan includes a new entrance, a dedicated Mona Lisa room and the
01:45capacity to host more visitors by 2031. But all that is still years away. Curators
01:52say France's heritage isn't just cultural pride, it's an economic asset and
01:58protecting it demands real investment.
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