Ms Dominique Buffin, 46 years old, was hired as the first woman head of security by Laurence des Cars, the museum's first female director, last September. But yesterday, Ms Buffin, who has held positions in the police and the French Ministry of Culture, faced calls for her resignation and accusations of unsuitability for the role. Marion MarÊchal, MEP and granddaughter of Marine Le Pen, declared that France is 'the laughing stock of the world' because of the 'ridiculous theft'.
She wrote on social media: 'The Minister of Culture must demand the immediate resignation of the museum director and the head of security, whom she appointed as part of a policy of feminisation. It is the cost of giving up competence: endangering the cultural heritage of our nation'. Ms Le Pen, leader of the Rassemblement National party, called the raid a 'wound to the soul of the country'.