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Month: February 2021

Monaco Pavilion close to completion

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/02/2021

Finishing touches are being applied to the rock-inspired Monaco Pavilion in Dubai. With months to spare before the World Expo kicks off this October, Monaco will be among the first countries to complete the mammoth project.
For the first World Expo organised in the Middle East, Monaco has chosen to showcase the many facets of its national identity inspired by the Rock, a 62-metre monolith that overlooks the Mediterranean and houses, most famously, the Prince’s Palace and the Oceanographic Museum.
In Dubai, the Rock is a more reasonable 14-metres high, and is now fully equipped with photovoltaic panels. The pavilion was connected to the city of Dubai’s grid at the beginning of December and is completely energy self-sufficient.
The entire external lateral facades have been covered in French Riviera-inspired Harlequin vinyl, while the Rampe Major, symbolising the winding and narrow streets of Monaco, leads up to the first floor of the pavilion which officials say is ready to welcome its first visitors.
The landscaping around the pavilion is also said to be nearing completion with almost all of the Mediterranean greenery installed.
“Amongst them, an ancient olive tree was planted right by the entrance of the pavilion, opening the doors of Monaco, the gem of the French Riviera,” said officials.
The offices and staff area are completed, and the interior fittings are scheduled for the spring.
Monaco is expected to be one of the first countries to receive the ‘Building Completion Certificate’.

After its initial postponement from October 2020, the World Expo Dubai will be held from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022.
More than 192 participating countries will showcase their uniqueness under three themes: Mobility, Opportunity and Sustainability.
‘Monaco 360° – a World of Opportunities’ will be located within the Opportunity District
 
Related stories:

Monaco will finish pavilion, despite postponement

Looking ahead to Expo 2020 Dubai

 
 
 

Next event: Med’s largest winter sailing regatta

by: Stephanie Horsman
24/02/2021

The 37th Credit Suisse Primo Cup Trophy will be hosting roughly 60 of the world’s top sail racing teams across three series in the Principality from 4th to 7th March.
Since 1985, the Credit Suisse Primo Cup Trophy has been the Mediterranean’s largest winter sailing regatta on the circuit. Launched by The Yacht Club of Monaco’s President, Prince Albert II, it has become a winter standard and one anticipated by sailing enthusiasts all over.
The three series event marks the final act of the Monaco Sportboat Winter Series for J70 class boats, the first two rounds having taken place in January and February. The reigning champions, Italy’s Petite terrible-Adria Ferries, will be on hand as well as several local favourites such as Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio on the G-Spot and Ludovico Fassitelli on the Junda-Banca del Sempione.
The second series features a fleet of Dragons, “famous for combining elegance, finesse and power and requiring a high level of skill to helm.” The Dragon class celebrates its 92nd anniversary this year, with YCM member and Class President Jens Rathsack amongst those registered to race.
The third series is for the Smerelda 888 boats. The Primo Cup starts off the Smerelda 888 International Championship and will feature three-time winner of the event Timofey Sukhotin of the Beda. The champs will be battling it out against Francesco Vauban on the Botta Dritta and Class Preisident and six-time winner of the event Prince Charles de Bourbon des Deux Sicilies on the Vamos Mi Amor.
After a training regatta on Thursday 4th March at 2:30pm, the events will take place on Friday 5th March at noon, Saturday 6th March at 11am, and Sunday 7th March at 11am, before the prize giving ceremony.
All racers are invited to take a Covid test before the event to comply with their country’s health regulaations before they return home. Results of the races will be relayed digitally to prevent large crowds gathering and to remain in compliance with local health regulations.
 
Photo by Yacht Club of Monaco
 
 
 

Six Nations: no new Covid-19 cases

by: Staff Writer
24/02/2021

The French Rugby Federation (FFR) said on Wednesday there had been no further positive Covid-19 tests among its playing squad or backroom staff for a second straight day as they prepare for Sunday’s Six Nations game against Scotland in Paris.
The FFR returned no new positive cases on Tuesday, but five more players were found to be positive in tests conducted last Sunday, bringing the total to 10.
Several members of staff, including coach Fabien Galthie, also returned positive tests last week.
The players that tested positive have all been replaced in the 31-man squad. The FFR said it will conduct daily Covid-19 tests until Sunday.
Six Nations officials said over the weekend they were confident the game in Paris would go ahead. But organisers said on Monday their Testing Oversight Group reviewed the situation and would reconvene on Wednesday.
France lead the standings with two wins from two games, ahead of Wales on points difference, as they seek to lift the Six Nations title for the first time since 2010.
 
(REUTERS)
 
Photo: France’s Charles Ollivon after the Autumn Nations Cup clash with Scotland at Murrayfield, Edinburgh on November 22, 2020.  REUTERS – RUSSELL CHEYNE
 
 
 
 

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.