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Day: 18 January 2022

This is the Prince’s new equal Cabinet

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/01/2022

Prince Albert has chaired the first meeting of his new Cabinet headed by Laurent Anselmi at the Prince’s Palace, unprecedentedly made up of half women, half men.

The meeting took place on Monday 17th January with Councillors Sophie Vatrican, in charge of financial and budgetary matters and culture and education, as well as Isabelle Costa who will be responsible for European issues and the health and social sector, Guillaume Pastor who will deal with government relations and supervise the Department of Equipment, Environment and Town Planning, and Julie Donati who will assist the Chief of Staff on matters of External Relations and Internal Security.

Chief of Staff Laurent Anselmi and all of Prince Albert’s new cabinet officially took the reins from their predecessors on 17th January, marking a new type of cabinet where women are equally represented and environmental issues, seeking new revenue streams, fighting corruption and continuing to reinvent Monaco as a smart city are at the top of an ambitious agenda.

Father of two daughters, the 59-year-old Anselmi has a degree in fundamental public law and is well-versed in international relations.

The Chief of Staff spoke to government television channel Monaco Info on Monday after the first meeting took place, saying the Prince had given them a thematic list of his aspirations and expectations, “notably for the attractiveness of Monaco, the digital and energy transitions, and control of public spending”, to name a few.

He said that under his leadership, he is looking to create a think tank-like spirit in the office, where being straightforward is encouraged and hard work valued. Of course, he added, the number one priority is to present Monaco to the world in the best way possible.

“The image of the Principality, its international visibility, as well as in the region and in France, is of course to continue. It’s not new, but it’s necessary to constantly adapt to new technology, new information, to associations,” said Anselmi.

 

 

Photo source: Gaetan Luci,  Prince’s Palace

 

 

 

Former Olympian Prince presents Monaco’s winter athletes

by: Luke Entwistle
18/01/2022

Prince Albert has revealed that Monegasque skier Arnaud Alessandria will be the Principality’s flag bearer in the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, while bobsleigh duo Rudy Rinaldi and Boris Vain will also form Monaco’s team of athletes.

The presentation ceremony took place in the ballroom of the Monaco Yacht Club on Tuesday and brought together athletes, trainers and organisers as they prepare to leave for China in under two weeks’ time.

All three athletes are participating in their second Winter Olympics. Skier Alessandria competed in Sochi in 2014, whilst bobsledders Rinaldi and Vain both attended the 2018 instalment in PyeongChang. Anthony Rinaldi will be in reserve.

The 2022 games will represent the 11th consecutive Winter Olympics for Monaco, with Prince Albert II participating in five of those as a bobsledder. “I was very lucky to participate in five editions,” said the Prince during the presentation. “It was a unique and intense experience.”

He added, “During the tumultuous time that we are going through, these Olympic games constitute a pause, bringing hope and joy for everyone… Let’s be grateful for the privilege and the luck that has been given to us to experience these strong values, to represent worthily the Olympic Committee of Monaco and the Principality of Monaco during this exceptional event.”

It was announced during the presentation that Alessandria will have the honour of carrying the Monegasque flag during the opening ceremony on 4th February.

The Winter Olympics come just months after the delayed Tokyo Olympics, and the build-up has been dominated by both the Covid pandemic and the political back-drop of human rights abuses in China.

Despite a myriad of distractions, the focus of the athletes and indeed of the world is now firmly on the sport, as one of the greatest shows on earth gets underway in just over a fortnight.

Stay tuned for Monaco Life’s interview with skier Arnaud Alessandria.

 

 

Photo left to right: Anthony Rinaldi, Arnaud Alessandria, Prince Albert II, Boris Vain and Rudy Rinaldi, by Luke Entwistle for Monaco Life

 

 

 

Condors of Monaco shine

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/01/2022

In the midst of the pandemic, the Princess Charlene Foundation and the Monegasque Association for Latin America joined forces to create a rugby school for underprivileged kids in Ecuador. The result was the Condors of Monaco.

One third of Ecuadorians live below the poverty line, according to the latest data by the World Bank, an increase of over 28% on the previous decade.

As is almost always the case, children are the ones who suffer most and in Ecuador, this is no exception. As a result, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, along with the Monegasque Association for Latin America (AMLA), created a rugby school in 2021 aimed directly at the children in the capital city of Quito.

The school gives these deprived children a place to go and, according to the precepts of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, offers them a sense of well-being that contributes to overall development through the power of sport.

The school, named the Condors of Monaco, is operated by the Huma Rugby Ecuador programme of the Pichincha Rugby Association. The main objective is to cater to the neediest children, but places are available to anyone who wants to “share the universal values of sport and rugby in a spirit of camaraderie and friendship”.

The school’s first year saw 120 boys and girls between the ages of four and 14 hitting the field to play together, instilling friendship and learning good sportsmanship. Seven coaches were trained to teach the children the finer points of the game.

A special match was played on 7th December to round out the year at the brand-new stadium for the Ecuadorian football club, Independiente del Valle. The exhibition game allowed the children to show off the new skills they acquired and to demonstrate their progress to their parents.

Amongst the values learned over the course of this first season were discipline, respect, integrity, passion and solidarity, as well as following the Pichincha Rugby Association’s motto of “Rugby with an R for Respect”.

The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation’s Sport and Education programme was designed to contribute to the health and development of children by promoting sport in many forms.

 

 

Photo source: Huma Rugby Ecuador

 

 

 

Covid circulation stabilises for first time since October

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/01/2022

More people are testing for Covid than ever before in Monaco, however the rate of infection, known as the incidence rate, has finally stabilised at a high 1,953.

According to the latest government figures, there were 10,616 PCR and antigen tests conducted in the Principality in the week from 10th to 16th January. These figures track the tests performed on both residents and non-residents, such as workers and students.

It is the highest weekly screening rate ever seen in the Principality, and doesn’t count the number of auto-tests that are also being taken by people at home.

It equates to over 1,200 more tests than the previous week, and 3,500 more than the week before that.

But while screening has increased, the positivity rate has not, remaining at around 12%.

For the first time since mid-October 2021, the incidence rate has stabilised at 1,953, compared to 1,966 the week prior.

In October, the rate was 59 and 52.

The news will come as a relief to the Principality’s health care system, which is struggling to cope with the fifth wave.

As of 17th January, there were 35 Covid patients being cared for at the CHPG, 21 of whom are residents, while five other patients were in ICU, including one resident.

The Home Monitoring Centre is following 373 residents with mild symptoms.

The Principality has recorded 44 Covid-related deaths from a total of 6,837 cases.

 

Photo by Benedetta Pizzonia, Monaco Life

 

 

 

Monaco youth take part in solidarity festival

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/01/2022

The fight against poverty was highlighted to more than 500 primary and secondary school children from Monaco as they voted for their favourite short films as part of the 11th edition of the Cinema for Change festival.

Taking place at the Théâtre des Variétés, the Cinema for Change festival, formerly called ‘Le Temps Presse’, took place on 13th January as part of a committed approach to 17 sustainable development goals set out by the United Nations back in 2015, through the power of film.

The goal is to raise awareness of international solidarity as well as development issues. In total, there are nine prizes awarded, of which three are youth prizes. The entries for the Children’s Prize were narrowed down to four short films, which were then screened by 26 classes from eight Monaco schools and voted on to select their favourite.

The votes from the Monegasque contingent will be added to those from other child jury members from France and four other partner nations. Prior to this selection, the students from the Sciences Po Paris, Middle East-Mediterranean campus in Menton voted on 28th November.

This educational activity is part of a partnership agreement signed in 2014, by which the Department of International Cooperation and the campuses work together to raise students’ awareness of development issues and the fight against poverty in the world.

The grand prize awards ceremony for the Cinema for Change Festival will be held next April in Paris.

 

 

Photo by Stephane Danna, Government Communication Department