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Month: June 2020

Tickets go on sale for Herculis meeting

by: Cassandra Tanti
29/06/2020

The Monaco Athletics Federation has announced that fans can now purchase tickets for the upcoming Herculis EBS meeting, set to be Monaco’s first major event since the lockdown was ordered in March.
Organisers revealed on Monday that spectators are able to book their tickets for the evening of Friday 14th August at Louis II for the highly anticipated meeting.
Despite the global crisis, the federation says it has managed to confirm the participation of reigning world champions Joshua Cheptegei – winner of the 2019 Diamond League over 5, 000m, Sifan Hassan – winner of the Diamond League 2019 over 1,500m and 5,000m, Yulimar Rojas – quadruple world champion in the triple jump, and the French hurdler Pascal Martinot-Lagarde – bronze medalist at the Doha World Championships and French record holder in the 110m Hurdles.
The Monaco Athletics Federation is expecting “many other champions” to join them in the coming weeks to participate in the Monaco stage.
The meeting will offer 13 events: Women – 100m, 400m, 1,000m, 5,000m, Triple Jump, High Jump. Men: 200m, 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m, 110m hurdles, 3,000m steeplechase, and Pole Vault.
Tickets are priced between 10€ and 50€.
The organisers say the highest health measures will be adhered to for the event: “In close collaboration with the Monegasque public authorities, Wanda Diamond League and World Athletics, the organisation works to ensure the best level of health security for the public and the athletes while offering a very high level of competition.”
The French Athletics Federation announced on 26th June that the meeting in Paris, rescheduled for 6th September, had been cancelled.
 
Photo: Yulimar Rojas, © P.Fitte
 
 

Supreme Court rejects judge's final appeal

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/06/2020

The Monegasque Supreme Court has denied a final appeal by French Judge Edouard Levrault who believed he was unfairly terminated when his contract was not renewed in Monaco last year.

Monaco’s highest court rejected the appeal on Thursday 25th June by the French magistrate who brought an excess of power charge against the State for non-renewal of contract for his position in Monaco.

As the decision by the Supreme Court is final, there can be no further appeals and the case is now considered closed.

“The decision not to renew the secondment of a French magistrate within the Monegasque judiciary is an act detachable from the bilateral convention of November 8, 2005 (between France and Monaco) and is a matter for the internal administration of Monaco,” the judges ruled, according to Monaco Matin. 

The ruling went on to remind the magistrate it is not the right of the contract-holder to have an automatic renewal. The Director of Judicial Services can refuse to reinstate anyone at the end of their contract using their discretion.

Judge Levrault was working in Monaco on a three-year contract and was leading the case on suspicion of corruption involving a Swiss art dealer and Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev.

He accused the State of letting him go because of differences in how the case should have been dealt with.

Laurent Anselmi, who was then the Director of Judicial Services, says the departure was due to the arrival of two new judges in a newly formed investigative office that was in the process of being set-up.

The court stated that Mr Levrault was not asked to leave because of any disciplinary measures, solely due to a new set of circumstances.

 
Related stories:
Judge removed from Swiss art dealer case

Artist Alan Walsh opens chic new gallery

by: Cassandra Tanti
29/06/2020

The Monaco Grand Prix may have been cancelled this year however fast living British artist Alan Walsh gives us an opportunity to still celebrate the prestigious event in his new gallery on Rue Grimaldi. 
The gallery was officially opened on Thursday 25th June with a cocktail evening and a warm welcome from Alan Walsh.
Famed for his bold use of vibrant colour and clean minimal illustration style, Walsh’s oversized pop art characters take you on an elegant journey back in time to an era of vintage motorsport and chic couture.

Taking inspiration from a childhood raised in motorsport, the collections on display in the first section of the gallery feature drivers racing around the tight streets of Monaco sporting quirky polka dot scarves; romances blossom between victorious racers and effortlessly elegant women in the pit lane.
FI themed typography connects the pieces together cleverly while colourful spectators raise their cocktail glasses as the cars race past designer stores.
The middle section of the gallery is a beautiful representation of the Riviera. The impossibly toned females in chic swimwear pose on Riva boats while enjoying champagne and rosé.

And finally, as you move towards the back of the gallery, you receive a little insight in to some of the luxury brands Alan has worked with, such as Porsche, Tag Heuer and Hotel Martinez, and the eye-catching advertising campaigns he created for some of the world’s leading drink brands including Artisan Drinks, Coca Cola and Gray Goose Vodka. Monaco locals may be familiar with his illustrations for Daniel Ricciardo and Blue Coast Brewing.
The Walsh Gallery has an extremely uplifting feel and features a custom built art studio at the rear. When the Covid-19 limitations are lifted, clients will be welcome to come and view Alan create his work and even commission their own unique artwork made in Monaco. All the pieces are handmade limited-edition screenprints (serigraphs) that are produced by passing acrylic paint through a silk mesh onto heavy weighted art paper. Very low edition numbers of each piece are produced and with an ever growing following its easy to see why his work is in such high demand.

After 16 years in Australia owning two successful galleries in Sydney, the British born artist and his wife Emily have now relocated to Monaco to grow their business in Europe and it certainly looks like they are off to a great start.
 
 

Local French elections: low turnout and few surprises

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/06/2020

The second round of the French municipal elections, held on Sunday, saw the re-election of many incumbents including Christian Estrosi as mayor of Nice for a third time.

Elections were held on a beautiful day in the Alpes-Maritimes, but despite that, voter turnout was exceptionally low. The abstention rate sat at a huge 64.7% overall in the 33 municipalities that make up the department – 23 points less than the previous election cycle held in 2014.

There was a clean sweep by incumbent mayors in the villages surrounding Monaco and in Nice, where Christian Estrosi has secured his third term as the city’s mayor, winning with nearly 60% of the vote and promising to move forward on plans that had started before the health crisis.  

“I will not stray from the project we have presented at any time,” Mayor Estrosi declared after the results were in.  

Menton saw their mayor, Jean-Claude Guibal, achieve his sixth term as the town’s top dog, winning over his opponent Olivier Bettati 55.7% versus 44.3%.  

The 79-year-old made clear in his victory speech that he is ready to build on the work he has already done.

“I want to tell the Mentonnaises that I am extremely grateful for this confidence. This trust engages me. I pledge to dedicate myself to Menton even more fully than I have done in the past. I will devote myself as fully as possible, as effectively, to defending the Mentonnaises and the Mentonnais.”

Roquebrune-Cap-Martin saw Patrick Cesari in as mayor with 52% of the vote against Anthony Malvault and Marie-Christine France De Ferriere. Xavier Beck has been re-elected in Cap d’Ail with 67.5% of the vote and in Beausoleil, Gérard Spinelli took over 70% of the vote against Stephanie Manfredi.

 
Photo: Nice, France
 

Monaco’s tree treatment begins

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/06/2020

The Principality has embarked on a campaign to protect its pines and palms from aggressive insects, including processionary caterpillars.

Under a mandate put forth by the Department of Urban Development, Monaco has hired French company Bioassays France to undertake the preventative treatment, which kicked off on 26th June and will last one month.

Using compressed air launchers, like you would see in a paintball game, biodegradable balls are launched into the trees dispatching different methods of pest control.

A pheromone is applied to the pine trees to saturate the receptors of the male butterfly which fathers the pine processionary caterpillar. The pheromone creates sexual confusion, preventing the males from finding and fertilising females for 120 days.

Pine processionary caterpillars are responsible for most of Southern Europe’s defoliation, and whilst other trees are affected, it is the pines who are most susceptible. They are also dangerous to dogs and other animals, causing itchy painful rashes or even death due to anaphylactic shock.

The spraying commenced in Fontvieille in the Jardin de l’Ane and will move on to Monaco-Ville at the Jardins Saint-Martin and Sainte Barbe, before moving onto Moneghetti on Avenue Pasteur and finally to Boulevard des Moulins at the Jardin Trocadero and the Annonciade.

Additionally, the palms in Fontvieille will be treated from 3rd July with biodegradable pine resin beads that have a repellent effect against predators, palm butterflies and palm weevils for up to three months.

 

Photo: @Direction de la Communication / ManuelVitali 

 
 

Cycling just got a whole lot easier in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/06/2020

Monaco is upping the ante in soft mobility, creating a new track for bikes and e-scooters linking Fontvieille to Port Hercule via the tunnel under the Rock.
Cyclists will be able to easily make their way across the Principality through the tunnel, leading out onto Quai Antoine 1er and joining Boulevard Albert 1er and swimming pool route.
“Bicycles and Personal Displacement Vehicles (EDP), like electric scooters, are an increasingly popular means of transport in Monaco. They provide new solutions for getting around on a daily basis,” said Urban Planning Minister Marie-Pierre Gramaglia while announcing the new cycle path on Friday.
In addition to the existing bicycle paths, such as that on Princess Grace Avenue, bus lanes have also been open to bicycles and electric scooters, representing 1.7km of tracks throughout the Principality.
Non-motorised personal transport equipment such as skateboards, rollerblades, scooters without a motor and bikes can circulate in various shared public spaces such as Place d’Armes, outside the opening hours of the Condamine market, the Promenade Honoré II, the Quai Albert 1er, and Rue Princess Caroline – totalling around 2.4km of dedicated space.
Soft mobility is seeing a surge in popularity in the Principality, particularly since the onset of Covid-19 and a reluctance among the population to use public transport.
The government revealed that the e-bike service Monabike has an average of 1,200 uses per day and can reach as high as 1,600 uses per day.
There are currently 32 stations throughout Monaco installed with 300 bikes, and that will be boosted with three new stations in the coming days, together with eight new stations in the autumn.
Before the end of the year, Monabike users will have at their disposal 43 stations and nearly 400 bikes.

Meanwhile, people who wish to purchase e-bikes will receive a 30% subsidy from the government, capped at €400.
In light of all of these advances, the government says there will be “nothing to prevent the use of bikes in the streets of Monaco.”
It is important to remember that wearing a helmet is compulsory for all cyclists up to the age of 18 years, and it is highly recommended for those beyond.
A helmet is also compulsory for riders of electric scooters up to 18 years of age, as is the wearing of reflective clothing or equipment.
 
Photos: © Direction de la Communication Manuel Vitali