Macron to Assess Louvre's Urgent Needs Amidst Declining Conditions**

The Louvre, experiencing critical issues such as flooding and power outages, is seeking government support as it manages a rise in visitor numbers. With Macron's potential investment announcement, the future of the world’s most visited museum hangs in the balance.**

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit the Louvre on Tuesday, responding to alarming reports regarding the museum’s deteriorating conditions. The Louvre, recognized globally as a cultural landmark, now faces significant challenges due to the increase in visitor traffic, with daily attendance reaching approximately 30,000. The museum's president, Laurence des Cars, has drawn attention to these issues in a leaked communication to the government, highlighting problems such as power outages, flooding, and crumbling infrastructure.

Des Cars emphasized that the iconic glass pyramid, the museum’s main entrance since 1989, is structurally unable to support the current visitor numbers, raising concerns that Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, may need to be relocated. Macron's engagement comes after losing legislative control, complicating the government’s ability to pledge financial support amidst ongoing budget disputes that have made substantial state allocations contentious.

Employee Christian Galani from the Louvre union describes a daily struggle with the museum's decline, citing incidents of paint peeling, exhibition spaces being flooded, and late payments to contractors. Recently, a temporary exhibition had to be moved due to flooding just days after its opening, underlining the urgent need for repairs.

The Louvre's environmental challenges include wide temperature fluctuations that can range from 10 degrees Celsius in winter to 30 in summer, posing risks both to the artworks and to the comfort of guests and staff. The structural concerns are intensified in the pyramid, which was designed to accommodate a maximum of four million visitors annually, but now exceeds that with more than eight million entering each year.

Des Cars has also highlighted the need for substantial upgrades in visitor amenities, such as toilets, cafés, and rest areas, particularly noting that the experience of viewing the Mona Lisa has become unsatisfactory. Visitors currently receive an average of only 50 seconds to appreciate the artwork, limiting public understanding of this iconic piece.

Potential solutions being considered include creating a new entrance beneath the colonnades on the eastern side of the palace, which could relieve congestion and improve amenities. There is also speculation about possibly relocating the Mona Lisa as a standalone exhibition for a fee.

Last year, the Louvre received state funding of €96 million, alongside ticket sales and sponsorships generating a total of €161 million. With limited government funding on the horizon, the museum is leaning increasingly toward private sector donations, reminiscent of the successful fundraising efforts to restore Notre Dame following the devastating fire. The Culture Minister, Rachida Dati, is advocating for increased entry fees for visitors from outside the EU as part of the funding strategy.