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Day: 23 February 2021

New Ambassador of Monaco to Australia

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/02/2021

It may have taken place more than 16,000 kilometres and 10 hours apart, but Monaco’s Ambassador to Australia Marie-Pascale Boisson has presented her credentials to the Governor General of Australia in the first virtual ceremony of its kind.  

The ceremony took place on 22nd February with Marie-Pascale Boisson seated in the Ministry of State in Monaco, and David Hurley, Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, at the Governor’s House in Canberra, Australia. Virtually and ceremoniously, she presented her Letters of Credence, accrediting her as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

The virtual ceremony, a necessity during the current Covid-19 pandemic, was a first for Monegasque diplomacy and took place at 7.10am in Monaco, and 5.10pm local time in Canberra.

Photo by Michael Alesi for the Government Communication Department

After presenting the Letters of Recall from her predecessor as well as her Letters of Credence, the Ambassador spoke to the Governor General about the excellent relations between Australia and the Principality of Monaco, and the common concerns of both countries, particularly regarding the environment and protecting the oceans.

Marie-Pascale Boisson then the governer general of her commitment to continue to deepen the ties that have united Australia and the Principality of Monaco for many years.

Photo by Michael Alesi for the Government Communication Department
 
 

Who makes up Monaco's public service?

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/02/2021

 The number of cross-border workers employed by the Monegasque government is increasing, with more than 53% of all civil servants in 2020 coming from France, according to the latest report by IMSEE.
The Monegasque Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (IMSEE) released its annual civil service report on Tuesday detailing the specifics of the Principality’s public employees.
It showed that Monaco’s civil service workforce has been rising steadily since 2013 and reached 4,911 people by the end of 2020. That’s equivalent to 2.8% more than the previous year and 16% more than in 2013.
The majority of this workforce is French, with cross-border workers now representing 53.2%. It is an increase of 0.9% on 2019.
Inhabitants of the neighbouring municipalities of Beausoleil, Cap d’Ail, La Turbie and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin make up 23.3% of civil service employees, an increase of 0.2 points.
Meanwhile, more than a quarter of the civil service workforce, or 1,300, are Monegasques. This proportion is much higher than in the private sector, in which only 1.9% of employees were Monegasque in 2020.
The French represent more than two thirds of the public workforce and are mostly men (65%), while 62% of Monegasque workers employed by the state are women.
Other nationalities have a balanced male/female distribution.
Department of the Interior dominates
As of 31st December 2020, there were 4,911 government employees in the Principality, the vast majority of those, 3,757, worked in administration. The Department of the Interior had the largest workforce with 2,002 staff, followed by the Department of Equipment, Environment and Urbanism with 756.
Outside of Administration, the second largest sector within the State was the Municipality, responsible for 712 staff, or 14.5% of the total public workforce.
Meanwhile, the Prince’s Palace employs 197 people directly and the Direction of Judicial Services has 155 employees on its books.
Administration boosted during pandemic
With the departure of 270 employees and the recruitment of 405 new ones, the Monegasque public service had 135 more staff members in 2020 compared to 2019, largely due to a reinforcement of services to manage the Covid health crisis. The vast majority of new recruits joined the administration department and the male/female ratio was relatively even. They were, on average, 34 years old and of French nationality.
Men remain the majority
Of the 4,911 civil service employees at the end of 2020, nearly 2,800 were men, or 56.9%. The only department where women outnumbered men was in the Department of Social Affairs and Health, where 73.3% were female.
The average age of civil servants was the same for both men and women: 43.6 years, therefore the age group ranging from 45 to 54 remains the most dominant, representing half of all civil service employees.
 
Photo by Monaco Life
 
 

Entire flights now being tested at Nice airport

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/02/2021

In a first for Nice Côte d’Azur airport, over a hundred passengers were given PCR tests upon landing in the French Riviera on Monday, marking the start of a new world order in Covid travel.
The 101 passengers were entering France on a flight from Tunisia and, after disembarking on the tarmac at Terminal 2, were bussed to Terminal 1 where they were asked to present to border control police travel certificates verifying a valid reason for entering the country, and a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours. According to a report by Monaco Matin, they were then asked to complete an information document with contact details before they were given another PCR test.
The passengers were escorted back to Terminal 2 where they collected their belongings and sent on their way.
“We were warned that we were going to be tested during boarding, but why? We had already taken a test before leaving,” one traveller told the newspaper.
Controls have been tightened since last August and rapid testing has been in place since November, with a focus on flights arriving from red or dark red countries such as Tunisia and Turkey.
This past month, airport services have been making random antigen tests on passengers coming in from outside the EU in an effort to control the spread of the virus and its variants, with a focus on the United Kingdom, Turkey, Morocco, Russia and Tunisia.
Now, the airport says these random controls will also occur on flights coming from other Schengen countries, with only children under 11 years of age exempt.
“With the arrival of variants and the increase in the number of cases in the Alpes-Maritimes department, we are carrying out random checks on entire flights,” said Hélène Navarro, communication director of the airport.
PCR tests are now being used in place of rapid antigen tests because they are the only sure-fire way to detect which variant a person is carrying.
The problem is that results do not appear for eight to 12 hours. Those who test positive will be recalled to the regional health authorities for further instruction.
 
 

Prince's foundation launches Environmental Photography Prize

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/02/2021

As part of the 15th anniversary celebrations for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, an international photography competition has been launched for the best environmentally-focused snaps, with the winners splitting a cash prize of €10,000.

The Prince’s Foundation is marking the important milestone with a competition called the ‘Environmental Photography Prize’, that puts nature and the world around us into sharp focus.

The contest, organised in conjunction with Barclay’s Private Bank and Monaco Digital, is a chance for photographers from all over the world to show their skills and shine a light on environmental issues.

A jury of professional photographers and representatives from sustainable development entities will choose the overall best photo, as well as winners in three categories: beauty of wildlife, wildlife in crisis and a glimmer of hope.

The jurists won’t be the only ones deciding, though, as the public are also invited to vote for their favourite snaps from 1st April.

The grand prize winner will be crowned the PA2F Environmental Photographer of the Year 2021, receive a cash prize of €6,000 and receive a VIP invitation to the opening of the PA2F Environmental Photography Award exhibit, as well as the foundation’s 15th anniversary events.

The winners of each category will receive €1,000 each and the people’s choice winner will get €500. All shortlisted photographers will be featured in the event’s exhibit in Monaco and their work will be published in the PA2F Environmental Photography Award book.

“We are very happy to inaugurate this competition, with high-quality partners and a jury of recognised and passionate professionals around a strong theme, in the current context of the health crisis. We hope that this campaign will participate in the efforts made to develop more harmonious relations with nature,” said Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and Managing Director of the Foundation.

Up to 50 images will be chosen across the three categories and the nominated artists will be announced on 15th April, with the winning images revealed on 30th April. After the prizes are awarded, an exhibition of all the shortlisted works will be on display from 4th May to 1st June, with “the aim to raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection and conservation.”  

Entries can be submitted at https://www.photocrowd.com/photo-competitions/photography-awards/pa2faward-2021/ until 28th March.

 
Photo by Yoni Kozminsi on Unsplash
 
 

Philharmonic celebrates the classical greats

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/02/2021

The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra is pulling out all the stops over the next few weeks to delight audiences with a line-up of classics made for young and old.

On 24th February, two musical tales for children, Le Souriceau Stupide by Chostakovich and Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev will be performed for audiences from four years of age. Julie Depardieu will narrate to conductor Philippe Beran’s version, whilst sand painter Keterina Barsukova adds an additional element to the performance. The show starts at 3pm.

Then on Saturday 28th February, conductor Gianluigi Gelmetti leads pianist Gerhard Oppitz in a concert featuring Mozart’s Concerto pour Piano No 20, K466 followed by Franz Schubert’s Symphony No 9 La Grande. This show will begin at 3pm to remain in curfew compliance.

Then on Sunday 7th March at 3pm, painist David Fray will perform Jean-Sebastien Bach’s Concerto pour Clavier No 1, BWV 1052 and his Concerto pour Clavier No 4 BWV 1055 along with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Concerto pour Piano No 24, K49.

A Musical Happy Hour on Tuesday 9th March will feature a string quartet featuring violinists Jae-Eun Lee and Sybille Duchesne, Violist Sofia Timofeeva and Cellist Delphine Perrone. They will perform Sofia Goubaïdoulina’s Reflections on the Theme of B-A-C-H, Schubert’s Quartet No 14, D180, La Jeune Fille et La Mort and two pieces by Igor Stravinsky, 3 Pieces pour Quator Á Cordes, K033 and Concertino pour Quator Á Cordes.

As part of the Spring Arts Festival of Monte-Carlo, conductor Kazuki Yamada will be leading violinist Tedi Papavrami in performing Alban Berg’s Concerto pour Violin ‘A la Memorie d’un Ange’ along with Arnold Schönberg’s Pelléas et Méllisande, Opus 5 on Saturday 27th March at 8:30pm.

To finish up the month of March, another children’s concert will be performed by conductor Christophe Mangou and narrator Julie Martigny. Indigo Isle by Julien Herrisier comes on the Wednesday the 31st at 3pm.

All shows will be performed at the Auditorium Rainier III. Tickets and more information can be found on the Philharmonic’s website at www.opmc.mc.

 
Photo of Kazuki Yamada by the OPMC