France’s top auditor has described last month’s audacious robbery at the Louvre as a “deafening wake-up call” for museum security, accusing the world-famous institution of neglecting safety measures in favour of prestige projects.

A report by the Court of Auditors released Thursday found that upgrades to the museum’s security systems had been advancing at a “woefully inadequate pace.” It criticised management for prioritising “high-profile and attractive operations” instead of addressing weaknesses in protection, maintenance, and building safety.

The rebuke follows the October 19 daylight raid in which a four-member gang stole jewellery worth an estimated $102 million from the museum’s Apollo Gallery in just seven minutes before fleeing on scooters. The thieves parked a truck beneath the gallery, used an extendable ladder to break through a window, and cut open display cases with angle grinders.

Among the treasures stolen were eight historic pieces, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace given by Napoleon I to Empress Marie-Louise. The robbers dropped a diamond- and emerald-studded crown that once belonged to Empress Eugenie as they escaped.

Authorities have since arrested four suspects, three of whom are believed to have taken part directly in the heist, but none of the stolen jewels have been recovered.

The audit, covering the museum’s management between 2018 and 2024, concluded that decisions were repeatedly made “at the expense of the maintenance and renovation of buildings and technical facilities, particularly those related to safety and security.” It also noted “a persistent delay in the deployment of security equipment for the protection of artworks.”

The Louvre said it accepted “most” of the recommendations but argued that the report failed to acknowledge steps it had already taken to improve security.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati last week unveiled the findings of a separate administrative inquiry that pointed to “a chronic, structural underestimation of the risk of intrusion and theft” and “an inadequate level of security measures.” She has asked the museum to review its governance and establish “a new security and safety department at the presidential level.”

An emergency board meeting has been scheduled for Friday as pressure mounts on the museum’s leadership to address what auditors described as systemic failings that left France’s cultural heritage vulnerable to theft.