To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Soroptimist Club, comprised of professional women around the globe, Prince Albert and the twins this week planted a South African jacaranda on the Casino Terraces.
Photo by Michael Alesi, Government Communication Department
The National Council has voted in favour of a bill that extends the right to Monegasque nationality by marriage from 10 to 20 years, a move which is designed to protect the Principality’s social model.
In his closing address to the Assembly on Wednesday night, National Council President Stephane Valéri said debate on the subject of Monegasque nationality was “both important for our community and sensitive for each and every one of us.”
Valéri said that bill n° 1038 was drafted after a “very broad” consultation with representatives of the community including leaders of associations and political groups such as ‘Primo! Priorité Monaco’ and the Monaco Youth Association. He cited a study by IMSEE that predicted the number of Monegasque nationals would grow by 5,100 in the next 50 years, putting Monaco’s generous social system in jeopardy.
“Let us all be aware of the opportunity, the rights and the advantages that Monegasque nationality confers on those who benefit from it today: low-rent state housing, national housing assistance, priority of employment, priority to professional installation, restricted access for certain regulated professions, very favorable study grants, birth bonuses, support for the most vulnerable among us, and this list is of course not exhaustive,” said the National Council President.
“This exceptional social model, as we know, is envied all over Europe and the world. It was built by the wisdom of our Princes and always supported by the elected representatives of the Monegasques during the successive terms of office of the National Council. It is a precious asset that we must preserve for future generations.”
In 2020, there were 9,753 Monegasque citizens out of a population of around 38,000. According to 2016 figures, 9,300 French people called Monaco home, compared to 8,200 Italians, and 2,795 British.
The last time the law was changed was in 2011 when nationality by marriage rights were extended from five to 10 years.
“20 years is symbolically the time of a generation to fully integrate into our community, to share our identity, our culture and our attachment to the Sovereign Prince and the Princely Family,” concluded the National Council President.
The bill to extend Monegasque nationality rights by marriage from 10 to 20 years was therefore was passed with 16 for, two against, and three abstentions.
In voting against the bill, Pierre Van Klaveren said: “Will we be more likely to be Monegasques, respectful of our culture and history after 20 years rather than 10 years of marriage? I don’t believe so.
“… If we had trusted each other, we could have undoubtedly found new solutions to our problems without having to go through the vote of a text that is in no way the best response to maintaining our social model.”
The bill will now go to the government who will decide whether to vote it into law.
The government on Thursday announced that it will be suspending the temporary unemployment scheme (CTTR) from 31st December this year.
As the pandemic took hold in March 2020, the Prince’s government implemented a series of measures to support local companies and preserve jobs in the Principality, including the temporary unemployment scheme Chômage Total Temporaire Renforcé (CTTR).
At the peak of the crisis, up to 22,500 employees per month were supported by the scheme, while 2,650 employers in the Principality were relieved of their wage and social responsibilities.
It has cost the Monegasque State more than €141.4 million to date.
On Thursday, while acknowledging that some sectors are still yet to return to pre-pandemic activity, the government announced that Monaco’s economic recovery has been achieved and, in agreement with the Council National, it will suspend the CTTR at the end of this year.
“This scheme, designed to be temporary and exceptional, was an emergency measure
that was not intended to last over time,” said the government in a statement.
However, it “could be quickly reactivated if the government were faced with the need to suspend certain sectors of activity for reasons relating to the health situation.”
The government says that “It is up to companies to continue to adapt to the new
economic context”, while it will continue to provide assistance through the Principality’s Economic Recovery Plan, which has mobilised €80.8 million euros since its implementation.
Photo by Melody Temple on Unsplash
A free seminar is being held on 3rd December to help businesses understand how to reduce their carbon footprint, something that will eventually become a requirement for all.
Carbon Clarity Monaco is an organisation dedicated to creating a sustainable future for consumers and businesses.
In an effort to share its expertise and help businesses make sense of the requirements, practicalities and possibilities around the new reporting rules dictated at COP26 and by other legislative bodies on how to become zero-emission, it is organising its first information seminar in Monaco.
“What was once a voluntary market is soon to be a regulated necessity for each and every business in the EU and UK,” says Paul Coleman, CEO of Carbon Clarity. “These steps are currently filled with technical jargon and for those that are not qualified in the sector of sustainability, the process will present itself as a list of daunting tasks. Carbon Clarity cuts through the jargon to deliver simple step by step projects on the journey to net zero.”
The free seminar will last an hour and a half and will cover relevant topics such as how to take the first steps in carbon auditing, strategic reduction and offsetting, how businesses can become more efficient whilst benefiting our environment, the difference between carbon offsetting and insetting, and the situation with the current global landscape.
The meeting will also address the latest labyrinth of legislation from the national, European and international levels as well as the risks and opportunities presented by going green.
The inaugural seminar will take place at the Novotel Hotel at 10am on Friday 3rd December and organisations, VCs, Family Offices, businesses and individuals are invited to attend.
To register, email: workshop@carbonclarity.org
Photo by Elissa Garcia on Unsplash
AS Monaco manager Nico Kovac dispelled any idea that his side would play for a draw during the pre-match press conference on Wednesday ahead of their crunch Europa League clash against La Liga high-fliers Real Sociead.
When questioned by Monaco Life about how he intended to approach the match given the strength of the opponent and the importance of not losing, Kovac made it glaringly clear that he would be gunning for a win. “It isn’t possible to play for a draw. Whenever you play for the draw it is difficult, so our ambition is to attack and to create chances to score and to win the game. If you play for a draw you are too passive, not active enough. From the first minute, we want to try to win the game.”
AS Monaco are faced with the daunting task of keeping Real Soceidad’s front-line quiet. The Spanish side, who currently sit second in La Liga and are only one point behind Real Madrid, have an arsenal of attacking talent at their disposal. David Silva’s creativity in the number 10 role will be a constant threat, whilst Alexander Isak’s physicality and athleticism will mean that he will be deserving special attention from the ASM defence.
It is therefore a relief that Monaco are able to once again call on Benoit Badiashile in defence who, along with Aleksandr Golovin, will return from suspension having had to sit out of Friday’s draw against Lille.
But unfortunately, Krépin Diatta, the scorer of ASM’s opening goal on Friday night who later went off injured, looks like being a lengthy absentee as he prepares for surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Reacting to the injury, Nico Kovac couldn’t give a return date for the Senegalese winger. “I am sad and disappointed to hear what is now a reality…It is going to be a long time, but no-one yet knows how long. We are going to miss him for some weeks and months. We are waiting for him, and hoping that he is back as soon as possible.”
AS Monaco are set to take on Real Soceidad at 9pm on Thursday at the Stade Louis II, and a win would secure qualification for ASM and see them progress to the much-coveted play-off phase of the competition.
Top photo by Luke Entwistle for Monaco Life
The world watched aghast this week as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, blundered a crucial speech to the CBI. As if mixing up his papers in the glare of the world’s press was not enough, what appeared to happen next was excruciating to watch. The Prime Minister seemed to freeze. The silence was deafening.
To compound this Greek-like tragedy, it seems the Prime Minister attempted to unfreeze himself by sharing details of his recent trip to Peppa Pig World. The CBI attendees looked unimpressed.
As a psychotherapist, I am not interested in the politics of the situation but in the meaning. What happened to Boris Johnson this week and what can the rest of us learn from his experience?
The amygdala
In fancy terms, my best guess is that Boris Johnson suffered an “amygdala hijack”. It is a term coined by the psychologist Daniel Goleman in the 1990s. In less fancy terms, he was most likely overwhelmed with chronic stress.
The amygdala is part of the brain’s limbic system which regulates our emotional and behavioural responses. As well as storing all our pleasurable emotions, it prepares us for danger by activating our fight or flight response.
Back in pre-historic days, we had to be alert for predators. We were someone else’s dinner! Hence our bodies automatically developed a survival mechanism to prepare us for danger. When under threat, our bodies assessed the situation and informed us to fight or flee the oncoming predator. (As someone who is neither strong nor fast, I would not have survived long.)
The lesser known, involuntary retort to being threatened or under extreme stress is the freeze response. We might have played dead or hid from the predator chasing us.
In the Prime Minister’s case, it appears he involuntarily froze, presumably due to the stress of the situation or the accumulation of stress over recent times. In other words, he likely had a brain and body reaction to stress.
Peppa Pig?
So why the Peppa Pig ramblings? (No offence to the Peppa Pig fans out there). Boris Johnson is known for creative rhetoric, but this seemed out of character.
Here’s the crux. Under extreme stress, all of us lose the capacity to think or act rationally. Back to my jargon – our pre-frontal cortex goes offline. This is the thinking part of our brain. As cortisol floods our brain, the only accessible part of our brain is the amygdala and specifically the fight, flight or freeze response. Whatever I do or say in the moment might not be logical or rational. Enter Peppa Pig, left stage.
In the work I do with addicts, the “amygdala hijack” is highly relevant. Addicts make decisions which they often come to regret. Sometimes those decisions have far-reaching consequences. So why do them? In the moments that they are high with their drug of choice, the only part of their brain that is functioning is the part which experiences pleasure. In their case, the dopamine rush has flooded the brain.
Have you ever wondered why certain public figures get caught in the most uncompromising situations? (Think of a former U.S. President or a famous world golfer or an iconic British 1980s pop star). The obvious question we ask ourselves when watching their jaw-dropping escapades on the nightly news is “what were they thinking?” The answer is they were not thinking rationally.
Conclusion
The fight, flight or freeze response was handy when being chased by Barney the dinosaur but less useful in addressing a CBI conference. It turns out that our pre-historic brains were quite clever. We just don’t need to use them in the same way today. Hence therapists emphasise techniques such as slow breathing and mindfulness to combat stress and to avoid our bodies entering this default mode.
What happened to Boris Johnson can happen to any of us in a stressful situation. The key is to understand our stress triggers. That requires us to get better at recognising our emotions. Emotions are data. We need to stay attuned to our minds and bodies and avoid the fight, flight or freeze settings.
So, when you are next at the office and nervous about making that crucial presentation, or you are in a situation where you feel threatened or significantly stressed, acknowledge how your body feels. Do some mindful breathing. Slow down.
If you do find yourself rambling about the activities of Peppa Pig, at least you’ll know you are not the only one.
Gavin Sharpe is a UK qualified psychotherapist, relationship / psychosexual therapist and executive coach. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and not necessarily those of Monaco Life. Gavin Sharpe can be reached at www.rivierawellbeing.com.
Photo source: Shutterstock
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