Macron Promises to Return Stolen Treasures from the Louvre

French President Emmanuel Macron promised on Friday during his visit to Mexico that the jewels stolen from the Louvre will be found. “We have begun to summon some members of the group that carried out this theft for questioning. The valuables will be found, those responsible will be caught, and they will face justice,” he clarified to Televisa.

The head of state added that this is an opportunity to emerge even stronger from what has occurred, as it was a shock for everyone. Macron also promised that the security at the Paris museum will be “completely revised.” He referenced the newly announced ‘New Renaissance Louvre’ project, which is set to include a grand new entrance and a room dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci's ‘Mona Lisa.’

On October 19, thieves broke into the Louvre Museum and stole jewels worth a record €88 million in an alarmingly short time. According to authorities, among the eight objects considered to have “inestimable historical value” is the diadem of Empress Eugenie (wife of Napoleon III), adorned with nearly 2,000 diamonds. Four suspects have been detained, but the valuable items remain missing.

The Court of Auditors has raised the estimated cost of the project to €1.15 billion, while discussions around the president's circle had mentioned figures between €700 million and €800 million. In its current form, the project has been deemed “unfunded.”