Monaco has a new bailiff, or huissier as known locally, who was sworn in earlier this week.
Frédéric Lefevre was appointed on the 8th January as Monaco’s newest bailiff, taking his oath before the Court of Appeal and the courts of the Principality. His appointment comes on the heels of the departure of Marie-Thérèse Escaut-Marquet, who officially left the position as of 10th January.
Ms Escaut-Marquet is a Monaco fixture, holding not only the role of bailiff, but also of notaire.
56-year-old Mr Lefevre was a student of modern literature in Aix-en-Provence before going on to obtain a master’s degree in civil procedure in Nice. In 1992, he went to work for Ms Escaut-Marquet as a clerk, eventually becoming the office’s senior clerk.
Bailiffs in Monaco are public officials who provide auxiliary services to the justice system, as well as providing services and delivering official documents for private individuals and companies in disputes, often pertaining to landlord and tenant matters, but not exclusively so. They also may legally serve as formal witnesses to events in the way that a notary public would.
Traditionally, their job was to, literally, lock and unlock doors for government ministers and officials.
His appointment keeps the number of bailiffs at a steady total of three within the Principality.
Special Olympics team starts training for Sweden 2021
With just over a year before the Special Olympics Winter Games in Sweden next February, the Monegasque Special Olympics team is gearing up, but not before they face a heavy schedule of big competitions in the coming months.
Founded in 1980 and chaired first by HSH Prince Albert II, and now by former Olympian Princess Charlene, the Monegasque Special Olympics has been dedicated from the outset to giving disabled athletes a chance to shine on the international stage.
Of the 95 local athletes currently training with Special Olympics, several have reached the pinnacle of being named world champions, including 2018 tennis players Jody Onnis, Steve Demaria and Christophe Mateu. Additionally, at the Abu Dhabi World Championships last March, an impressive 33 competitors brought home medals.
President Pierre Van Klaveren emphasises the values of sportsmanship and discipline that high-level athletes must maintain in order to be considered for the team. This has paid off, as the Monaco association has not only consistently brought home medals but are invited to the biggest events year after year to compete at the highest levels.
The schedule for the winter sport teams this year is gruelling. Next month, for example, the Sweden Pre-Winter Games are being held, giving skiers and snowshoers a chance to practice on the courses they will be competing for in earnest next year. Before this though, they will be participating in the Swiss national ski championships at the end of January and the VII Nations of Isola 2000 in March.
For non-winter sport athletes, this year will see competitors at the swimming sprint championships in March and April, the No Limits Converciano football tournament in Florence in April, and the unified tennis world championship in Budapest in May and the French national pétanque games in Cambray in June.
To ensure the proper training and safety of the adults and children participating, additional coaches have been brought on, thus expanding the programme and the number of competitions that can be attended.
The government of Monaco has long been not just fans of the athletes, but major financial supporters, allowing these athletes access to the best training and the most competitions possible.
To emphasise their commitment to athletes with special needs, the Department of Social Affairs and Health has just bought and made available to the Monegasque Ski Federation a tandem ski, suitable for persons of limited mobility or physical disability which normally disallows them to enjoy the fresh air, camaraderie and excitement skiing affords.
Didier Gamerdinger, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, who presented the new ski said: “the Government wished to give the Monegasque Ski Federation the means to acquire a tandem ski so that people with disabilities or reduced mobility can slide safely on the slopes. They will be able to discover sensations, enjoy the surrounding panoramas and experience winter sports in their own way.”
Trained supervisors will accompany the intrepid skiers and special four-seater detachable lifts and wide, gentle slopes are at their disposal at ski areas in the PACA region.
Monaco is getting ready to celebrate the Patron Saint of Monaco, Sainte Dévote, on Sunday 26th and Monday 27th January. Here’s everything you need to know about this very special day in Monaco’s calendar.
It is one of the oldest traditions celebrated by the Principality of Monaco, permeating national culture in fields as diverse as religion, folklore, popular beliefs, history, literature, the arts, painting, music, numismatics and philately.
The tradition stems from the legend of Sainte Dévote, a story that is transmitted in medieval texts and is held dear to all Monegasques.
According to the legend, Devota (Dévote), a young Christian native of Corsica, was martyred by the prefect Barbarus under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. Her body was stolen by worshipers during the night, put in a boat, and brought to Monaco where she was buried in a chapel in the valley known as ‘des Gaumates’ on 27th January. Scholars say it was the year 303 or 304.
In the 17th century, under the rule of Prince Honoré II, Sainte Dévote became the patron saint of Monaco.
But the tradition wasn’t really established until the 1870s and since then, each year, a boat on a pyre is burned in the presence of the Sovereign Prince, the Princely family and many Monegasque personalities. Once the boat is burned, a musical-fireworks show takes place on Port Hercule.
On Monday 27th January, the feast day, a solemn mass is celebrated in the Cathedral by the Archbishop of Monaco. Attending this religious ceremony are the Princely family, the Prince’s government, elected assemblies and constitutional bodies, as well as many faithful Catholics.
At the end of the ceremony, a procession with the penitents of the Archiconfrérie de la Misericorde makes its way towards the Prince’s Palace with a reliquary containing the relics of the saint, escorted by the Carabinieri of the Prince.
The procession then stops on Place du Palais, where an Honor Guard and the Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra pay tribute. A celebrant blesses the Princely family with the relics before the procession heads to the ramparts where another celebrant blesses the city and its people. Finally, back in front of the Cathedral, a last celebrant blesses the sea and the fishermen.
Dr. Christine Ferrier-Pagès, Research Director of the Monaco Scientific Centre, has been appointed to the Women in Ocean Science program, where she will be responsible for helping to advance the careers of a number of female ocean science scholars across the globe. The aim of the programme is to buck the current trend and reduce the enormous gender imbalance in this field of science.
Dr. Christine Ferrier-Pagès is head of the Coral Ecophysiology team in Monaco, where she has worked for the past 26 years. But it appears that Dr. Ferrier-Pagès is one of the lucky ones. While only 15% of women who achieve a higher diploma in Oceanography actually manage to advance to teaching or research positions, she is part of a female-strong team in Monaco.
“The laboratory in Monaco is rather well balanced, as all the heads of different sections are in fact women,” Dr. Christine Ferrier-Pagès explained to Monaco Life. “But overall in Europe, the United States, Australia, and the like, there are many women in science, but not in high positions. There is always one woman for every 10 men.”
Despite her unique position, Dr. Christine Ferrier-Pagès is committed to helping further the careers of other female ocean scientists, recently accepting a position with the Women in Ocean Science (WIOS) programme. The initiative was launched by the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) to recognise outstanding early-career and mid-career scholars who can advance the frontiers of marine science, and then become world-leading professionals.
Dr. Ferrier-Pagès will be responsible for selecting six scholars to take part in the program.
“The female scholars I select will receive support to participate in international meetings, funding to travel to laboratories abroad, and help in delivering field projects of significance,” says Dr. Ferrier-Pagès. “I think we will receive plenty of applications, and our job will be to select six women who have the potential to reach senior faculty positions in the future – the next rising stars in marine biology, you could say.”
The WIOS programme will establish a strong network of professionals who are committed to increasing diversity at the highest level of science. WIOS participants will have access to an influential network of men and women, who are exemplary international leaders of major research institutions, proficient in philanthropy, social science, science communications and media, and grant writing.
“Through this network of professionals, we can help these women in science, for example I can host some of the selected scholars in my lab to teach them techniques, conduct some experiments or research on corals, or just advise them on their professional career,” explains Dr. Ferrier-Pagès.
Marine scientists are entering an unprecedented era with regards to climate change and its impact on the oceans. According to Dr. Christine Ferrier-Pagès, one of the biggest challenges the planet will face this decade is the sheer level of plastic pollution.
“Plastic pollution is a big problem, as well as all kinds of pollution, they has a very dramatic impact on coral reefs. Combined with thermal increases with the heating of the earth, corals are being destroyed. The future is dependent on whether or not we can preserve nature.”
Another prediction that this marine scientist gives for the 2020 decade involves access to drinkable water and the melting of the polar regions.
“Rising sea levels will result in the loss of many small islands, prompting an enormous increase in climate migrants. Also, if continents like Africa or Australia continue to burn as we are witnessing now, their populations will also rush to countries where they can still have access to water and food. I think these will be some of the biggest challenges of the decade ahead.”
Top photo: Dr. Christine Ferrier-Pagès at the Scientific Centre of Monaco Other photos: Pixabay
Only three days after a hard-fought tie in Paris, AS Monaco has fallen to Paris Saint Germain at home.
This was the game was should have happened in December, and perhaps if it had, the outcome wouldn’t have been so disappointing. After turning themselves around from a tough start this season, AS Monaco has been on a serious upswing, not having lost a game since November, clawing its way up out of relegation and acting like the team fans knew they could be.
This loss on Wednesday reminded everyone why PSG is at the top of the league, and though unfortunate, it was still a well-played match against a well-organised team.
Kylian Mbappe scored first against his former teammates at the 14 minute mark setting the stage, followed by a converted penalty by Neymar as the clock ran out on the first half.
After the halftime break, Monaco came out determined, but unable to make the plays stick. Heroic efforts by Gelson Martins just after the hour mark reinvigorated the team, but at the 72 minute mark, Paris struck back with a crushing goal by Pablo Sarabia.
Three points behind, the Red and Whites could have thrown in the towel, but they forged on. It paid off in the form of the only goal of the night for Monaco made by Tiémoué Bakayoko near the end of regulation play.
With the match all but over, Mbappe landed one more between the posts just after the 90 minute mark ending the game with a 1-4 loss for Monaco.
The Red and Whites have a chance to redeem themselves in Ligue 1 action on 25th January at Stade Louis II when they face Strasbourg, and they go up against Saint-Pryvé Saint-Hilaire on the 20th for the French Cup.
Photo source: AS Monaco Official
Interview: Olivier Wenden, Managing Director Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation
