Monaco’s students have done the Principality proud, achieving remarkable results in the 2020 Baccalaureate.
The government was pleased to announce on Tuesday an overall pass rate of 99.53% for the general, technological and professional series, and 360 honours for 427 students, or 84.31%.
It was, of course, an exceptional year for the ‘bac’ students. As a result of the lockdown and in line with the French Education Department, students’ final scores were based on an average of the results of the first two terms of the year.
For the general series, 100% of the pupils of the lycées Albert Ier and François d´Assise – Nicolas Barré passed their exams, including 244 (86.83%) with honours.
With regard to the technological series, 98.15% of the Lycée Albert Ier and the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier de Monaco students passed their exams, including 42 with honours (77.78%).
There were also very good results in the professional series, with a success rate of 98.91% for the hotel, industrial and tertiary sectors with 74 honours (80.43%).
“The excellent results recorded in this 2020 edition demonstrate once again the sense of commitment of the entire educational community of public and private high schools under contract in the Principality,” said the Prince’s government in a statement. “The flawless professionalism and great dedication of the teaching and non-teaching staff were decisive in the support of all the students during the school year and, more particularly, during the period of confinement. The Prince’s Government sends its sincere congratulations to the 2020 winners for their remarkable performances.”
Photo: Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario and Director of National Education for Youth and Sports Isabelle Bonnal announcing the results on Tuesday, credit: Communication Department / Manuel Vitali
Ikea is set to sell solar panels in its stores in France from this autumn, a move that will make renewable energy more accessible than ever before.
It was revealed this week that the Swedish furniture giant has partnered with the Voltalia, a French company specialising in renewable energies, to sell and install the Ikea-branded solar panels. The products, called Solstråle, will be offered in stores exclusively in the south of France from this September.
While prices for the solar panels have not yet been announced, they are expected to be 10% to 20% cheaper than the rest of the market, according to Le Figaro.
Customers will be able to find the panels online at Ikea.fr or in store, where they can simulate their needs. After-sales service will be provided Voltalia, whose experts will carry out a free roof diagnosis, analysing slope and orientation, to prepare for installation. This study will also assess potential electricity bill savings.
Afterwards, Voltalia will manage the installation and maintenance of the panels.
While Solstråle is a first in France, Ikea is already offering the products in a number of other countries including Sweden, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia.
The government is urging Monegasques to get involved in the UN’s Young Professionals Programme, which is now accepting applications.
The Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative for talented, highly qualified professionals to start a career as an international civil servant with the United Nations Secretariat.
Each year the UN invites un- and under-represented Member States to participate in the programme to ensure equitable representation of all Member States in the UN Secretariat.
The programme consists of an entrance examination and professional development programmes once successful candidates start their career with the UN.
The YPP examination is held once a year and is open to nationals of countries participating in the annual recruitment exercise, including Monaco.
Eligible applicants must have the nationality of a participating country, must hold at least a first-level university degree relevant for the exam subject they are applying for, must be 32 or younger in the year of the examination and must be fluent in either English or French.
Depending on the staffing needs of the United Nations, applicants are invited to apply for different exam subjects.
Photo: The United Nations Secretariat building in New York
The E-Rally Monte-Carlo held later this year will take place around the Principality of Monaco, with a new route through the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var.
The Organising Committee of the Automobile Club of Monaco (ACM) recently released the programme for the fifth edition of the E-Rally Monte-Carlo, which will be held between 22nd and 25th October.
In an effort to boost the local economy, all races will start and end in the Principality, at the Quai des États-Unis.
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 crisis has forced organisers to decrease the total mileage while maintaining the 220 stage kilometres, according to international regulations. In total, there will be 10 rally stages available to participants and four legs, the longest being on Friday with 360 kilometres throughout the Var.
The E-Rally Monte-Carlo is reserved for 100% electric vehicles and 100% hydrogen-powered cars.
It has come to be highly regarded by car manufacturers and race teams who are eager to show the technological and innovative potential of their vehicles, in a rough and tough environment.
The ACM has released this provisional programme: LEG 1 – Thursday 22/10/2020 (150 km) Start from MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
SR 1 – La Bollène-Vésubie / Peïra-Cava (Alpes-Maritimes)
SR 2 – La Cabenette / Coaraze (Alpes-Maritimes)
Back to MONACO – Quai des États-Unis LEG 2 – FRIDAY 23/10/2020 (360 km) Start from MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
SR 3 – Col de Gratteloup / Vidauban (Var)
SR 4 – Grimaud / Gonfaron (Var)
Regroup – Le Luc (Var)
SR 5 – La Motte / Bagnols-en-Forêt (Var)
SR 6 – Pont de Pré-Claou / Montauroux (Var)
Back to MONACO – Quai des États-Unis LEG 3 – Saturday 24/10/2020 (120 km) Start from MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
SR 7 – Col de Castillon / La Cabanette (Alpes-Maritimes)
SR 8 – Peïra-Cava / Sospel (Alpes-Maritimes)
Back to MONACO – Quai des États-Unis LEG 4 – Saturday & Sunday 24-25/10/2020 (120 km) Start from MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
SR 9 – Sospel / Peïra-Cava (Alpes-Maritimes)
SR 10 – La Cabanette / Col de Castillon (Alpes-Maritimes)
Back to MONACO – Quai des États-Unis
AS Monaco publicly presented its new sporting director, Paul Mitchell, this week to discuss his goals for the Red and Whites and to be formally welcomed by the club.
Accompanied by Vice-President and CEO of AS Monaco Oleg Petrov, Paul Mitchell faced the press on Monday at the Rainier III Auditorium in Monaco, saying that he was keen to join the club as soon as he was approached by Mr. Petrov: “For me there was no hesitation. I am very ambitious, and I think my career can attest to this. This is a great project that requires patience and success. And that’s what I have set out to do,” said Mr Mitchell.
According to Oleg Petrov, the recruitment of the former technical director at Red Bull International Soccer and head of recruitment at RB Leipzig, marks a new chapter in the history of the club. “We believe that the arrival of Paul takes place at the best of times. It was not easy. I believe that he has all the qualities, the professional and human skills to succeed in this project; these things count for a lot in my eyes,” said Mr Petrov.
Paul Mitchell revealed to the press that he has a standing relationship with AS Monaco coach Robert Moreno, a link which Moreno says will serve the club well. Robert Moreno, courtesy AS Monaco
“Since Paul Mitchell arrived a fortnight ago, we have had about 15 meetings already. We speak every day,” said club Manager Robert Moreno. “This is the normal relationship that the coach of a team must have with his sporting director. I am happy to have the opportunity to work with Paul. We need to have this structure to be a successful team.”
“I think neither Oleg Petrov nor Robert Moreno were happy with ninth place last season. I am here to contribute my skills,” added the new head of recruitment. “I have always liked to produce a dynamic and aggressive style of play as a means to winning. I think that we are going in the right direction and that we are already working within the framework of an organisation which aims to bring as high of a level of competition as possible.”
Paul Mitchell said he is already working hard to find and invest in the best talent, but added: “We should not think in terms of volume. You have to look at the sporting environment – its quality, regularity, and intensity. We want to work on the mental side of things as well. The players that we are going to recruit or who are already present must be 100% focused on one goal: winning. It is important to implement this to bring back the successes that AS Monaco deserves.”
Meanwhile, Oleg Petrov and Paul Mitchell both discussed their mutual desire to strengthen the relationship between AS Monaco and Belgian club Cercle Brugge, with Mr Petrov revealing: “The goal is to allow our players to assert themselves and gain experience at Cercle Brugge before returning to AS Monaco where they can then contribute to the success of the club.”
“We have to strengthen the connection, the communication, make everyone work hard and improve on the progression of players, on the style of play that we want to set up and which must align as much as possible with that of AS Monaco,” added Mr Mitchell. “Our strategy is to have the two clubs’ goals aligned. I am working hard to find the right balance between AS Monaco and Cercle Brugge.”
In conclusion, Paul Mitchell laid out his plans for the coming season and his objectives with AS Monaco, saying:“I think the club has gone through some turbulence in recent years. This summer, we have a very clear, well-established plan – we know where we want to get to, but for that we need patience. We want to permanently reinstall AS Monaco at the top of the table, which dictates what we do every day. We do not want our choices to be dictated by changes made too suddenly and decisions that we may regret later.”
Top photo: Oleg Petrov and Paul Mitchell, courtesy AS Monaco
Within minutes of walking into the Wrest Point Hotel Casino in Tasmania, Australia, 17-year-old Andrew Scott knew his future would be in gaming.
“It was the pretty ladies and suited men, the green baize, the clink of the chips, the social atmosphere, the emotion in the room – everything from passion, hope and joy to despair, frustration and fear. You could see that fortunes were changing, either big or small. It was just a rich place to be,” Andrew tells Monaco Life from his office in Macau.
After working as an accountant for five years, Andrew realised his dream and set off around the world to play professional black jack – an adventure that lasted 20 years and took him to more than 200 of the world’s casinos, from ultra luxury to “sawdust joints”, and everything in between.
“Eventually, I decided that I didn’t want to be doing this when I’m 60 and that I should get a real job. I fell in love with Macau in 2005, and I remember saying: ‘This is going to be bigger than Las Vegas.’ Well now it’s five or six times the size of Vegas.” Andrew W Scott
Through various “connections and accidents”, Andrew entered the world of media and is now the Vice Chairman and CEO of Inside Asian Gaming (IAG) – a multi-tiered B2B gaming industry media brand.
With a daily digital newsletter in English, Chinese and Japanese, two bilingual print and digital monthly magazines, a successful events arm and an Asian gaming consulting business, it’s safe to say this former professional blackjack player is an expert on Asian gaming, providing some interesting insights into a region which generates more revenue from gambling than anywhere else on the planet.
“Last year, Macau was the biggest single-city gambling market in the world by a factor of six,” reveals Andrew. “In 2019, we had 108,000 people a day coming to Macau – made up of about 70% mainland Chinese, 20% from Hong Kong, 3% from Taiwan, and the rest mainly from other parts of Asia. In terms of gambling dollar, more than 90% comes from mainland Chinese.” Macau
The game of choice, says Andrew, is baccarat – accounting for 88% of all gaming revenue. Slot machines are not particularly popular in Macau, representing only around 5% of gaming revenue. But given the gargantuan size of the market, Macau’s slots still raked in US$1.9 billion last year alone.
Remarkably, it’s estimated that 96% of mainland Chinese have never been to Macau, so “there is a massive untapped market in China”, which has had a rising middle class for over 15 years now. Going to Macau, says Andrew, is almost like a rite of passage for this part of the population.
“If you are a ‘new rich’ in China, you get a set of $5,000 golf clubs, you buy Versace shirts, and you go to Macau. Then you go to WeChat and show all your friends on social media how important you are,” says Andrew.
Macau’s strategy couldn’t be more different than that of the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), which rebranded the Monte-Carlo Casino five years ago under ‘The Art of Gaming’ to promote Monaco’s other cultural experiences that complement its world-famous casino. Casino de Monte-Carlo, photo: SBM
“The average stay in Macau is only 1.5 days, so it is in-out,” reveals Andrew. “Half of all visitors don’t even stay the night. Hotel rooms are quite expensive and in short supply. Because gambling is such a major part of the Asian culture, it is all about playing. So, despite all the best efforts of the government and even the operators themselves, the non-gaming side has not been very successful in Macau.”
Rather, argues Andrew, gambling is considered a “business” to the Chinese, despite the fact the practice is illegal in mainland China. “They might quickly polish off some noodles for dinner, play all night, then go home at 7am without sleeping.”
It’s a far cry from the luxurious Hôtel de Paris / dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant / night at the Opera de Monte-Carlo-type experience that is being championed by Monaco. Macau
Nonetheless, Macau – the only city in all of China that has legal casinos – has become a hotspot for the continent’s high rollers, with gambling revenues hitting almost US$36.7 billion in 2019 – five times higher than those of Las Vegas.
So, when a new strain of the coronavirus emerged and lockdowns were enforced, Macau, a city completely dependent on foreign visitation, was brought to a sudden standstill.
“It hit on the worst possible day of the year, Chinese New Year on 25th January. All of Macau was shut down on 5th February, which as far as I am aware has never happened in its 400-year gambling history and certainly not in living memory,” says Andrew.
Macau resorts have since reopened, but according to IAG estimates, visitation in Macau is now down 99.5% year on year, and revenue has plummeted by 97%.
“Right now, no one can go anywhere. All the borders are effectively shut between Hong Kong and Macau, and if you cross over from Guangdong province, it’s a 14-day quarantine on the way back, which isn’t interesting for gamblers.”
As a result, the gambling industry in Macau has been losing around $20 million a day – an astonishing amount yet still not enough to put Macau’s gambling industry at risk.
“Believe it or not, Macau’s six casino operator companies, which operate 39 casinos between them, have enough cash reserves to continue like this for 18 months to six years,” says Andrew. “That’s how much money those six companies have made since the gambling industry was liberalised in Macau in 2001.” Galaxy Macau
It’s good news for Monte-Carlo SBM, which sold Macau operator Galaxy Entertainment Group a 5% stake in 2015. The partnership is designed to grow SBM’s presence in Asia, particularly Japan where the two are vying for rights to run a new multi-billion dollar gambling resort. Galaxy, in turn, is aiming to capitalise on the Monte-Carlo brand.
“Galaxy is a very good company, they’ve grown from zero to hero in 16 years,” reveals Andrew. “I think there are two aspects to this relationship: firstly, the equity position Galaxy has taken in SBM and the potential sharing of high rollers between Asia and Europe; and secondly, their joint bid in Japan which is really exciting. Now that Las Vegas Sands has withdrawn from the race, Galaxy’s position is starting to look very good.”
Three years after Galaxy acquired a position in SBM, Japanese lawmakers formally began the process of legalising gambling resorts, a move nearly two decades in the making. The country will now grant a maximum of three casino licenses to three host areas, with possibly more to come in a second licensing round after a further seven years.
Yokohama is where Galaxy and SBM are currently expressing their interest, and if Macau is anything to go by, Monte-Carlo SBM’s gamble five years ago could very well pay off, substantially.
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