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Parliamentary hearings before the French Senate or National Assembly committees always follow the same pattern. After an opening statement, the person being questioned is interrogated by the attending parliamentarians. But the questions are generally grouped, with several senators or deputies asking them in succession, leaving it to the speaker to note them down and respond all at once.
This practice obviously leaves full latitude to avoid the most embarrassing questions, without, most of the time, it seeming to pose a problem to the parliamentarians; we have already discussed here the very numerous false or approximate answers given by Laurence des Cars before the Senate Cultural Committee. The list of questions to which she did not deign to respond is no less revealing. Here they are.
Questions from Pierre Ouzoulias (Communist Senator) :
« Who manages the Nouvelle Renaissance du Louvre plan? Is it the President of the Republic or the Minister of Culture? Where do the decisions come from? Are they issued from rue de Valois or from the Élysée? At Matignon, probably not, but at the Élysée, more likely. There is a fundamental question. When you send this confidential note, what feedback do you receive from each of them? »
This question — or rather these questions — are not only pertinent, but they are obviously somewhat embarrassing for the President of the Louvre, who does not wish to put either the Minister of Culture or the President of the Republic in a difficult position. For the answer is that the former does not really have a say, or rather, having chosen to support Emmanuel Macron to the end, she follows his directives exactly. We have already explained that the Nouvelle Renaissance project was conceived by Laurence des Cars, who persuaded the President of the Republic, and that he decided to make it the flagship project of his term. From the outset, when it was announced, we knew, through numerous ministry officials, that he did not have control over it and that everything was managed by the Élysée. It is, of course, for this reason that the resignation timidly proposed by the President of the Louvre was refused. All decisions are made by Emmanuel Macron himself.
« We would like to know whether these 80 million [necessary for securing the Louvre] come from additional credits that will be allocated to you. […] So I come to my question: these 80 million, do you currently have the capacity to find them? And at what timeframe, from your own funds? Or do you need an additional budget? »
The Louvre having a great deal of money, as we have said, coming from Abu Dhabi and the endowment fund, it is obviously not necessary to allocate 80 million euros from the State budget to this purpose. It is understandable that Laurence des Cars does not wish to address this question, which would compel her to acknowledge that she has a plenteous treasury, with which she has done nothing.
Question from Monique de Marco (Green Senator) :
« How can one justify today a plan of more than 800 million euros, transforming the museum into a hyper-tourist attraction capable of welcoming over 12 million visitors per year? »
It is obviously unnecessary to explain why Laurence des Cars did not respond to this question, as that would be to acknowledge that there is no justification for this project.
Questions from Aymeric Durox (Rassemblement National Senator) :
« This theft scenario, however obvious, had it already been envisaged by the management? And if so, are there written records of this work that could have assisted the said management? »
Once again, the reason for the absence of responses from the President of the Louvre is evident, the answer being obviously[:] no.
« Were durability tests carried out given the priceless value of the stored pieces, which also seems obvious? If so, are there written records of these tests? »
As with the previous question, the lack of response is sufficiently revealing.
Questions from Jacques Grosperrin (Les Républicains Senator)
« I heard that the Antiquity-Islam department, which was created not long ago, less than fourteen years ago, had been renovated and did not truly require any specific action regarding this. »
Laurence des Cars does not respond to this question, which, however, everyone is asking. Why undertake this completely unnecessary project?
« Did you truly write a resignation letter? This is an important question and I would like you to respond to it. »
This is obviously a very important question. One to which she did not respond, as, of course, there was no resignation letter (mandatory for a civil servant).
Finally, La Tribune de l’Art provides more answers (and above all much more reliable ones) on this matter than the President of the Louvre does, even before the national representation…