The director of the Louvre museum in Paris has told a French Senate committee that the institution is "out of breath" and at the end of its resources, with countless technical systems in urgent need of replacement. Christophe Leribault, four months into his tenure, defended the museum's planned Nouvelle Renaissance renovation project, estimated to cost one billion euros, saying the investment is "absolutely necessary." The renovation has drawn added scrutiny following a high-profile jewellery heist in October, in which thieves used a moving lift to enter the museum in broad daylight and steal around 88 million euros' worth of jewels — including a crown set with 1,356 diamonds and 56 emeralds — in under ten minutes, exposing severely outdated security systems. Funding for the renovation is expected to come from raised entry prices for non-EU visitors, donations, and contributions from the Louvre Abu Dhabi, rather than from the French state treasury.