Gymnast completes team Notorious

Monegasque gymnast Kevin Crovetto is the fourth and final member of team Notorious, led by Gareth Wittstock, for the fast approaching water bike challenge ‘The Crossing: Calvi to Monaco’.
Kevin Crovetto won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Games of the Small States of Europe and participated in the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.
He will be joining fellow athletes Mathew Bennett, Guinness World Record holder for rowing across the Atlantic with the fastest time, and Conor McGregor, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight and lightweight champion, for the 12th to 13th September crossing. The team will be led by Princess Charlene’s brother and General Secretary of her Foundation Gareth Wittstock.
Team Notorious will go head to head with team Serenity, led by Princess Charlene of Monaco. She will be relaying the 180-kilometre journey with French swimmer and Foundation Ambassador Yannick Agnel, and Australian cyclist David Tanner. The fourth and final member of team Serenity is yet to be revealed.
Meanwhile, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation is now taking donations for the charity event, with money going towards water safety awareness and anti-drowning campaigns worldwide.
 
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The Notorious teams up with Princess Charlene for training

 
 
 

Macron's €100 billion recovery package

French President Emmanuel Macron has presented a green-tinted €100 billion recovery plan to pull the country out of its economic slump and create jobs.
France’s new stimulus package of €100 billion, equalling roughly 4% of the country’s gross domestic product, is the government’s attempt to kill two birds with one stone. The hope is that it will do the intended job of re-energising a Covid-ravaged economy, as well as creating a slew of more eco-friendly practices in companies.
The two-year package programme, called France Relaunch, is a fast-moving beast and focuses on supporting growth for businesses who would receive funds on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. The plan also has €30 billion set aside to promote greener energy policies, making it one of France’s most forward-looking plans to date. The rest of the massive sum will go toward training, wage subsidies, and social initiatives such as tax cuts, with the goal of seeing 160,000 new jobs available in the upcoming year.
“Economically and socially, it is infinitely better to temporarily worsen the public finances to invest, re-arm the economy and move forward than to sink into austerity and let unemployment and human drama explode,” Castex told journalists.
The recovery package comes without a moment to spare as France and Europe brace for one of the worst recessions since World War II. An 11% decline in GDP is forecasted for this year, based on the 13.8% drop in the second quarter of 2020, and there are signs that unemployment is on the rise. The country’s debt burden sits at a whopping 120% of output, and the success of the plan hinges on European financing of up to €40 billion if it has a shot at succeeding.
This high-stakes move comes as the 2022 elections loom in the distance and could be make-or-break for Macron should he decide to run again for President. Time is of the essence if he is going to be seen as an effective reformer President with a well-defined policy makeover agenda. If all goes to plan, Macron’s record on the economy would be restored as would his pro-business stance, which has suffered from the health crisis as well as union friction. Additionally, he would no doubt benefit from the green aspects of the programme, widening his base to the younger voters who see the environment as a pressing concern.
 
Photo: Emmanuel Macron during a press conference outlining his government’s €100 million recovery package
 
 

25% of businesses predicted to go bust in PACA region

A representative of the 70,000 small to medium-sized enterprises in the PACA region says he does not see up to a quarter of them surviving the economic crisis triggered by the recent pandemic.
Alain Gargani, President of the Confédération des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (CPME), told a recent press conference: “After confinement, 52% of companies were already in a difficult situation. Today, 25% of them believe that they will not pass the course.”
Factors that contribute to this doom and gloom scenario include social distancing and other health measures, teleworking, partial unemployment, as well as the less tangible but perhaps more significant psychological mindset of the business community who have lowered their expectations and are suffering crises of confidence.
Mr Gargani spoke just hours before the French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, announced his new #FranceRelance plan, a roadmap for the economic, social and ecological overhaul of the country. This plan was created after a broad national consultation was set up to learn lessons from the crisis.
Health measures such as distributing masks and gel as well as erecting social distancing barriers represent a breaking-point burden for companies already in difficulty, said Mr Gargani, who added: “It would be good if there was financial support from the government.”
He went on to talk about the pluses and minuses of telecommuting, stating that, “Teleworking is a tool for continuing to work, but there are pros and cons. Today it needs to be regulated, a framework defined with the social partners to write a roadmap on the subject.”
Whilst he appreciated the government’s stimulus packages, he acknowledged that they are short-term solutions and not terribly effective for long-term recovery. As the loans are due in March 2021, many small to medium sized business will simply not be in a position to repay, argued Mr Gargani, leaving them in a worse position than before. Therefore, he has asked that the government consider deferring payments over a longer period, he suggested 10 to 20 years, to allow recovery without the stress of trying to pay rent, employees, taxes as well as the government loans.
Without support, he foresees the closure of 5,000 businesses by Christmas, representing 15,000 jobs – a devastating blow to the local economy.
With costs for sanitary measures being “about €1,000 per month for a small business with five employees, or €12,000 per year, which represents a young person returning to work,” according to CPME representative Caroline Baron, the burden will ring the death knoll for some companies. Add telecommuting into the mix and the fear is that restaurants will also suffer. No one in offices means no one going for lunch at restaurants, leading to more closures.
To try and shore up the business community as best as possible, Mr Gargani and CPME will present a plan to set up a regional commission on 22nd September, which they hope “will lean against the commercial courts to support business leaders in difficulty before they reach the wall.”
 
Photo of Menton, source Pixabay
 
 

New Minister holds first press briefing

Monaco’s new Minister of State Pierre Dartout has spoken to the local press to lay out his plans for the future of the Principality.

Economic recovery, sustainability and Covid topped the list of priorities for Monaco’s new Minister of State as he spoke candidly to the press on Thursday 3rd September, adding that it was a “great honour” and “great pride” to have been selected by Prince Albert II for this post. Mr Dartout conceded that there will be considerable challenges ahead, but said he has a clear roadmap for the future.

66-year-old Pierre Dartout has had a long and distinguished career in public service, most recently as the Prefect for the Alpes-Maritimes region, before taking up the reigns of government in the Principality. He has five children, all boys, who were born in different cities due to his nomadic existence as he rose through the ranks, though he has found the most happiness in this region due in part to having spent idyllic holidays in the family home in the Var as a child.

In the Minister’s speech, he reasserted his priorities to align with those of Prince Albert, namely ecological issues, security and the economy. The Minister has a particular bent on security saying, “There is no freedom without security, there is no quality of life without security. This has been a strong priority here for years. The response is effective. It now remains to develop it and adapt it to the new phenomena of criminal activity.”

Minister Dartout has his work cut out with regard to the economy, though the government has thrashed out a recovery plan which is about to be presented to the National Council in the coming days. This plan, he hopes, will help the sectors most struggling from the fallout of the health crisis to bounce back, namely in the hospitality, cultural, construction and financial arenas.

The environment also presents some trials, with the minister saying: “One of the main challenges is the ability to produce new, renewable energies while saving energy, for example ensuring that homes are as economical as possible. Mobility is also a major issue: in our cities, most of the pollution comes from automobile traffic. Progress must therefore be made.”

He also made the not-always-obvious link between the economy and ecological issues saying, “We must not oppose ecology and economics. They must be reconciled. It is the role of public authorities to ensure this. Preserving the environment and combating different forms of pollution require new techniques that lead to economic progress. The environment is unquestionably a creator of wealth and jobs.” 

The security-minded minister said that delinquency is “evolving” in Monaco and that “we must not stay in fixed positions but constantly adapt to the new situation in order to be able to respond effectively.”

Finally, at the end of his public speech, Mr Dartout made clear his support of the local press and their vital role in being a link between the public and the government, particularly in these extraordinary times.