More isolated and unpopular than ever, even in his own camp, Emmanuel Macron has been trying to maintain a visibility that has been slipping from his grasp. And culture, the head of state’s preserve along with defense and diplomacy, is one of the few areas where he can still showcase his waning influence. The Louvre, where he very symbolically celebrated his inauguration in 2017, has thus offered him an unhoped-for opportunity to put himself back at the center of the game.
The operation has been well thought-out: The museum had cleverly leaked a confidential document to Le Parisien, warning of the building’s dilapidated state.
On Tuesday, January 28, in front of an audience of presidents from major institutions, Parisian elected officials and members of parliament, Macron announced the creation, by 2031 at the latest, of a new entrance for the museum in the façade of Perrault’s colonnade, opposite the church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois. Added to this will be the relocation of the Mona Lisa to a reserved area beneath the Cour Carrée, accessible independently, with its own access pass.
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