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Month: June 2020

Obradovic out as AS Monaco basketball coach

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/06/2020

Sasa Obradovic is leaving the Rock to return to his roots as head coach for Crvena Zvezda in his hometown of Belgrade.

The Roca Team will have to say it’s goodbyes to head coach Sasa Obradovic, as he moves onto to become coach of the team that he started his career with back in 1987.

“It was a very difficult decision for me to leave Monaco, but the challenge proposed by the Red Star (Crvena Zvezda) tipped the balance, between competing in the Euroleague and finding the club and the city that saw me start at the highest level,” said Obradovic.

AS Monaco was 9th in the league when he first arrived on the scene in 2019, and the following season saw them at the top of the Jeep Elite standings and finishing first in their group in the EuroCup Top 16, before the season was cut short due to the Covid epidemic.

“My biggest regret is that I was unable to finish the work with the Roca Team. We started on good bases this season to do great things,” said the coach. “I would like to thank the president, the general manager, the Prince, the Palace and the government for making my experience in Monaco unforgettable. I would also like to thank the fans for making me feel at home in Monaco from the start. The room was small, but very warm, and I really enjoyed it.”

He warmly went on to say that, “I’m sure ASM Basket will stay competitive. Each year Sergey (Dyadechko) and Oleksiy (Yefimov) have to rebuild the team because the players generally gain a lot of value in Monaco. But what should give the club credibility is the fact that Monaco has always remained at the top of the bill since its rise in Pro A / Jeep Elite, which is a remarkable fact.”

Roca Team can boast winning every home game in the Jeep Elite league under Coach Obradovic since he came on the scene, and his legacy will not soon be forgotten. The coach’s talent will surely be missed.

 
Picture: AS Monaco Basketball
 
 

Mairie forced to cancel summer events

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/06/2020

The Mairie has announced a series of summertime event cancellations, including the much-anticipated International Fireworks Competition, due to the uncertainty of the public health situation.

In order to “avoid excessive gatherings of the population”, the Mairie has announced the cancellation of all of its public events this summer. 

In June, this means that the traditional award ceremonies normally held at the Mairie, such as the Sports Festival, the award ceremony of the Monaco Language Competition, the award ceremony of the Rainier III Academy, and the award ceremony for the Higher School of Plastic Arts-Bosio Pavilion, will not be held this year. 

Additionally, the concerts associated with Fête de la Musique on 21st June will not take place, nor will the Rainier III Academy Gala Concert on 24th June. 

In July and August, annulments include the 2nd MC Summer Concert, originally scheduled for 1st July, The Summer Carnival on the Rock that was scheduled for 10th July, and the Monaco Arc en Ciel 2020 International Fireworks Competition that was intended for 17th and 25th July and 1st and 8th August.

The amusements usually taking place on the Port of Monaco during the summer months will not go ahead, though the town will create shady spots on Quai Albert I for those looking to beat the heat.

Finally, Les Musicales, world concerts and Le Squar’Animé – children’s shows that would have taken place on alternating Wednesday evenings in Place Gastaud, are also cancelled.

New BBC series gives rare glimpse into life in Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/06/2020

A host of Monaco personalities, including Prince Albert, have taken part in a new BBC2 series entitled Inside Monaco: Playground of the Rich.  
Monaco has been viewed as an uber-glamorous destination for decades. Now, the United Kingdom’s BBC2 has been given rare access into this world of privilege and privacy for a new three-part series.
“With privileged access to the royal palace, the super-rich and those who serve them, this series gives an exclusive insight into the tiny country with extraordinary wealth,” says the series teaser.
Even Prince Albert has allowed rare access into his world, speaking frankly about the rights and responsibilities expected of him as sovereign of the world’s most dazzling destination.
“You have to keep a balance of things, not only to concentrate on what has worked well for us in the past, and made Monaco what it is, but you constantly have to try and anticipate the needs of the future and try and anticipate what the trends will be,” the Prince divulged to the show’s producers.
He also speaks candidly about his mother, Princess Grace, describing her as a “vivid presence” who remains an icon of style and beauty nearly 40 years after her untimely death.
Monaco’s reputation for discretion makes this programme all the more alluring to the outside world, which often views the country as the sole domain of the super-wealthy. Given one in three residents are actually millionaires, this assumption isn’t entirely off the mark.

However, there are some outrageous statements made in the series that proliferate the cliché of Monaco, including one helicopter pilot who claims that, “In Monaco, the helicopter is considered like a car.”
Episode one appears to focus on Princess Camilla de Bourbon-Two Sicilies and the 2019 Influencer Awards, which “opened Monaco’s doors to the jet-set Instagram generation”.
“I want to somehow be a little bit of a bridge between traditions and the new world,” says Princess Camilla de Bourbon-Two Sicilies, President of the awards. “I believe this project brings Monaco into the new era of social media, which we cannot do without.”
Viewers of the first episode are also taken on a lively tour of the Principality with Lady Monika Bacardi in her chauffeur-driven classic Rolls Royce.
“Monaco is like a pink bubble, it is very small, very safe, and there are a lot of little candies everywhere,” she tells the interviewer.
Other episodes highlight an exclusive event for high-rollers at the Casino de Monte-Carlo, and “the super-rich arriving for the famous yacht show”, according to a teaser on the BBC website.
Inside Monaco: Playground of the Rich will start airing on Monday 8th June at 9pm, and will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer soon after the original broadcast.
See the full trailer here: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/stories-52938402/monaco-opening-its-luxurious-doors-to-instagram-stars
 
Top photo: Princess Camilla de Bourbon-Two Sicilies, taken from the BBC series

Monaco launches worldwide appeal for environment

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/06/2020

The Principality of Monaco, along with 14 other countries, has launched an appeal  to the world to join forces and protect nature.

Monaco has stepped in and shown willingness to not only commit, but to act on behalf of the environment this past World Environment Day. On Friday, the Principality and 14 other nations, including France, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Mongolia, and the UAE, banded together to form an alliance whose aim is to protect the planet from further ecological destruction.

The group, called The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, is hoping to inspire countries to work at grassroots levels to ensure sustainability and stop further damage to the planet. 

This appeal highlights the close links between the pandemic and the loss of biodiversity, stating: “The rapid and devastating spread of Covid-19 is a tragedy whose consequences on people, economies and societies are monumental and which will last for years. This pandemic provides unprecedented and powerful proof that nature and man share the same destiny and are much more closely linked than most of us have realised.”

The primary goal is the preservation and restoration of biodiversity throughout the world. These undertakings signify “a crucial step to help prevent future pandemics and public health emergencies, and to lay the foundations for a sustainable global economy.”

The call to action is highly reliant on indigenous people to prioritise undamaged ecosystems and focus on the most important areas for biodiversity and climate. The resulting network of protected areas would represent a well-connected ecosystem chain and proliferate the diversity and richness of local species. 

All the governments of the world are therefore called upon to conserve “our precious intact ecosystems and our wilderness areas, to effectively preserve and manage at least 30% of our planet’s land and oceans by 2030″.

 
Photo: Pixabay
 
 

France raises fines in time for World Ocean Day

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/06/2020

France has doubled the fine for littering amid outcry over images of surgical masks and gloves floating in the ocean.
Junior Ecology Minister Brune Poirson announced on Sunday that fines for littering will increase from €68 to €135, rising to €375 in case of non-payment. People could even face a penalty of up to €750 if the case is taken to court and police are required to prepare a report.
“Plastic waste linked to the Covid-19 crisis reminds us that if we want clean oceans, it starts with clear sidewalks,” wrote the junior minister on Twitter.
The announcement by the French government came just a day ahead of World Oceans Day on Monday 8th June and two weeks after a video filmed by activist Laurent Lombard showed a sharp increase in Covid-related pollution off the coast of Antibes. The video, headlined ‘How about swimming with Covid-19 this summer?’ for NGO Opération Mer Propre (Operation Clean Sea) has since gone viral.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGTIusXmJYg
The sight of discarded masks littering the Med sharply contrasts with more positive pictures of nature seemingly benefiting from coronavirus lockdowns.
Monaco Blue Initiative
Brune Poirson, who is now calling on the French to choose fabric masks over disposable ones, also delivered a keynote address during the opening session of the 11th edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative on Thursday 28th May, saying that Covid-19 has increased recognition of the One Health approach, which acknowledges that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.
In his virtual welcome address, Prince Albert II of Monaco said that the Covid-19 crisis has shown the level of vulnerability of societies, noting the importance of this session in ensuring the engagement of all stakeholders, including coastal communities, in effective management of Marine Protected Areas.
Further virtual workshops are scheduled for 9th and 24th June.

Prince Albert and France’s Junior Ecology Minister Brune Poirson during the first session of Monaco Blue Initiative on 28th May, courtesy Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

RAMOGE – Man and the Sea
World Oceans Day also saw the launch of the RAMOGE Agreement international photography competition, entitled ‘RAMOGE – Man and the Sea’.
As part of its awareness-raising activities, the RAMOGE Agreement invites all lovers of both the sea and photography to highlight the relationship between human activities and the Mediterranean – positive or negative.
RAMOGE is the international cooperation agreement for the preservation of the coast and the marine environment between France, Monaco and Italy for the area between Marseille and La Spezia.
The competition is free and open to everyone and runs until 15th September.
A word from the Prince
Also to mark World Oceans Day on 8th June, Prince Albert II of Monaco released a video message, saying in, part: “As our world becomes aware of its weaknesses, as everyone wonders how to reinvent our economies and societies, we must all mobilise to ensure that the oceans are at the heart of the world that we need to rebuild”.

 
Top photo: Screengrab of video taken by Laurent Lombard 
 

Interview: Mike Powers on the property market in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/06/2020

Monaco remained the most expensive luxury residential market in the world in 2019, according to a recent report by Savills. But how much has Covid-19 impacted that position?
Monaco Life spoke to Mike Powers, Director of luxury real estate agency Powers Properties, for his perspective on the current state of the property market.
Monaco Life: How much of an impact do you expect Covid-19 to have on the residential market in Monaco?
Mike Powers: Monaco is clearly a sellers’ market and these sellers are not in a hurry to sell and can afford to sit on their properties. Of course, there might be a few owners who are forced to sell, but overall we expect the market to stay stable with fewer transactions for the rest of the year.
Has there been any activity at all during the lockdown from prospective buyers and sellers?
There has been some rental activity, but we have noticed a large decrease in sales.

Mike Powers, Director of Powers Properties

What has the situation been since the lockdown was lifted? 
There are a lot of buyers looking for blood, but few sellers are bleeding. The sea extension is drawing attention as well as a few other developments. But travel restrictions are making it difficult for foreign investors to access Monaco.
What impact has the lockdown had on the construction of new builds and how will this affect the market? 
Overall, most construction sites were affected but we don’t expect delays to be more than a few months.
How will the Monaco property market be impacted in the future? 
With the global economy going into potential depression, it is quite difficult to evaluate the impact. However, Monaco is more attractive than ever. It’s medical system has been very professional, efficient and proactive during the crisis. The government reacted very quickly with strong measures towards local businesses and employees.
In addition, the rising security issues in many foreign countries makes Monaco more and more attractive.
Do you expect the property market to bounce back quickly?
I think the Monaco market will stay stable unless we are faced with a second wave of this coronavirus. The rest of this year will be a period of wait and see in many ways. We will not see a drop in price like we will see in Paris, London and other major metropolitan areas.
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