France, Nov. 6 -- France's top auditors sharply criticised Louvre Museum bosses on Thursday for spending millions of euros on high-profile exhibitions and expensive purchases instead of improving security and maintaining the historic building.

Nearly three weeks after thieves broke into the Paris museum and escaped with €90 million worth of precious jewels, the Cour des comptes (Court of Auditors), France's public spending watchdog, released its findings on Louvre operations between 2018 and 2024.

"The theft of the Crown Jewels is, without a doubt, a deafening wake-up call," said Pierre Moscovici, one of the senior figures in the committee.

"The management prioritised visible and attractive operations at the expense of the mainte...