French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Christophe Leribault as the new president of the Louvre Museum, following the sudden resignation of Laurence des Cars. Leribault, an 18th-century art expert who was currently serving as the director of the Palace of Versailles, takes over the institution during a period of significant internal crisis. In a concurrent move, Annick Lemoine was named the new director of the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie, filling the vacancy left by the late Sylvain Amic.
This leadership shuffle is a critical attempt by the French government to stabilize its most prestigious cultural institutions after a series of high-profile scandals at the Louvre, including a $100 million jewelry heist, ticketing scams, and staff strikes. Leribault’s primary mandate is to restore institutional trust and overhaul security protocols. The transition marks the end of des Cars' historic but troubled tenure as the Louvre's first female leader and signals a shift toward administrative "serenity" over the ambitious, now-postponed expansion projects of the previous administration.