A new report shows that Monaco’s public sector workforce grew in 2022, with more than 5,000 people now employed by the State for a Principality of just two square kilometres.
A new report by Monaco’s statistics group IMSEE shows that there were 5,047 employees in the Monegasque Civil service in 2022, an increase of 0.8% on 2021, equivalent to 39 additional people.
The vast majority, ¾, are employed within the government with most, 40%, working within the Ministry of the Interior, while 15% can be found in the Ministry of Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development.
The large majority of the rest of the public sector – 15% – work within the Municipality. Only 4% are employed by the Prince’s Palace, 3% in the Department of Justice, and 2% in “other administrative attachments”.
The percentage of people who occupy a category A position, the highest, is 32%, while the majority, at 42%, occupy a category C position.
The majority of public sector workers, 56%, are men, and the average age is 43.4 years.
One in four employees, or 1,298, are Monegasques, while the majority – 69% – are of French nationality. Still, 45% of all public sector workers reside in Monaco, and 54% in the Alpes Maritimes.
Prince Albert and his government has sent their condolences after two deadly earthquakes rocked south-eastern Turkey and north-western Syria on Monday, killing an estimated 5,000.
The first earthquake hit early Monday morning at 4.17am local time. Centred on the Turkish city of Gaziantep, roughly 241 kilometres from the Turkey-Syria border, the 7.8 magnitude quake was enough to cause major damage, which was compounded only hours later, at 1.24pm local time, by a 7.5 magnitude trembler just 80 miles north of Gaziantep.
The death toll is expected to rise significantly as rescue workers search the rubble for survivors, and the World Health Organisation is estimating losses could rise by at least four times that number.
Prince Albert II sends condolences in wake of earthquakes
In a public statement released on Monday evening, Prince Albert II sent his heartfelt thoughts to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the country’s people.
“I would like to express to you my very deep emotion following the earthquakes which have hit your country so hard,” said the Prince. “I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims affected by this disaster. My Family and the people of Monaco join me in sharing with you their unity of thought with the wounded and all the people who are in pain today. Rest assured, Mr. President, of our deep solidarity with your people and with you.”
The Prince’s government also sent words of support in a public statement, saying, “It is with emotion and sadness that the Prince’s Government wishes to express its most sincere condolences to the Turkish government and people who are today mourning the numerous losses of human life following the earthquake which affected the Kahramanmaras region. Our thoughts also turn to the emergency services and to those who come to the aid of the injured.”
The aftershocks continue
The region is no stranger to earthquakes, but back-to-back tremors of this magnitude are rare. At least 120 aftershocks have been recorded so far, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).
Any earthquake over 7.0 is considered “major” and with that, significant loss of life and property are expected. This is most certainly the case in Syria and Turkey today, as more than 5,500 buildings are reported to have collapsed.
The region is also home to more than four million internally displaced Syrian refugees who fled opposition-controlled areas when fighting broke out there over a decade ago. These people rely on international aid to survive, and the disruptions caused by the quakes will no doubt impact them severely.
An estimated 24,400 workers and volunteers are working tirelessly to find possible survivors who could be trapped in the rubble. 55 helicopters have made more than 150 trips into the region to transport emergency aid, with 85 trucks distributing food. Overnight temperatures sunk to -5°C and, even with help, people are in desperate need of warmth and shelter.
Rescue workers are being joined by international crews who are flooding into the region from not just the European Union, but also the United States, the UK, Israel and even Ukraine, whose on-going war with Russia would naturally give them a pass in most instances.
Tremors felt in Monaco
Eerily, Monaco and its environs have also recorded tremors in the past day or so, completely unrelated to the Turkish and Syrian quakes, with reports of a 2.4 magnitude quake hitting at 2.10am on Monday.
Monaco-based international private bank CMB has signed a deal with venture capital specialists OneRagtime in an effort to give clients exclusive early access to investments in pioneering French and European start-ups.
CMB Monaco, part of the Mediobanca group and active in the Principality since 1976, has been offering clients top-drawer services since its inception. Now, they are teaming up with Paris-based venture capital firm OneRagtime to offer clients a chance to invest in the early stages of promising new start-up companies in France and Europe.
“This partnership will allow us to give our clients access to a diverse portfolio of innovative start-ups,” Francesco Grosoli, the CEO of CMB Monaco, says. “We are also delighted to partner with a venture capital fund that shares our entrepreneurial and societal values.”
OneRagtime’s CEO and founder Stéphanie Hospital also declared her contentment with the new arrangement, saying, “We are pleased to join forces with CMB in the service of entrepreneurship and to give CMB’s clients access to exclusive investment opportunities in the finest tech start-ups in France and Europe… Our community of entrepreneurs and investors is becoming even more international thanks to Monaco and its unique influence. Performance, impact and meaning are at the heart of our collaboration.”
CMB Monaco has partnered with the innovative OneRagtime. Photo source: CMB Monaco
Ferrari have announced that their 2023 Formula One Car, the SF-23, will be released at Maranello next Tuesday with under a week to go until Charles Leclerc can mount another title challenge.
Preparations for the upcoming season are accelerating, and the anticipation behind another Leclerc title challenge is mounting. On Tuesday, the Monégasque driver posted a video on his social media, driving around the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi in a now vintage 2003 title-winning Ferrari.
That year, it was Michael Schumacher who drove the Prancing Horse brand to a constructors and drivers title. Leclerc will be hoping to ensure the same fate this season after his title challenge faded last season. Ultimately, it was Max Verstappen who strolled to back-to-back drivers titles.
Leclerc will be hoping to replicate his Bahrainian Grand Prix performance under the night lights of Sakhir on Sunday 5th March.
The machinery at his disposal will be unveiled in Maranello, Italy on 14th February, it was announced on Tuesday. Whilst the appearance and performance of the car remain a mystery for now, we do at least know the name: SF-23.
It is the eighth car to be designated SF, with the number, of course, referring to the year. Anticipation is growing, with the world now certain on catching their first glimpse of the new Prancing Horse in just a week’s time.
Planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the one you love? Check out our guide to some of the fun things happening in Monaco this Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to get together with someone special and show them how much they mean to you, be it your partner, best friend or family member.
Here are some fun ideas on how to celebrate this year’s international day of love.
Valentine’s Day menu at The Niwaki
The Niwaki
This, one of Monaco’s most popular Japanese restaurants, may not seem the likely choice for a Valentine’s Day meal, but it would be almost impossible not to fall in love with the offering that the The Niwaki has planned.
For €185 per person, couples start with either a Takaramono Valentine’s cocktail or a glass of pink fizz followed by a decadent sharing plate including fresh oysters, scallops, tuna, beef tartare, shrimp and langoustine.
Chef Shahar Dahan will then send out a sushi selection prepared especially for the evening, before the mains are served, which are lobster with red yuzu kosho butter or duck breast with daikon pickles and demi-glace. A chocolate rum and ginger soufflé finishes off the decadent meal.
If the set menu doesn’t tickle your fancy, The Niwaki will also be serving from their a la carte menu.
The Niwaki Monaco, Le Palais de la Plage, 37 Avenue Princesse Grace
Spice up Valentine’s dinner by heading to West Indian Chef Marcel Ravin’s Blue Bay at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort.
The special evening at this two Michelin starred restaurants starts with a half-bottle of 2012 Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame Prestige to wash down a gorgeous tasting menu featuring a delectable selection of flavours.
Dishes include perles de Monaco oysters, mushrooms in a millefeuille crust with sugar cane vinegar, artichoke hearts stuffed with foie gras, a slow cooked egg with caviarmoringa leaves, potato stuffed with creamy smoked bacon, and grilled prawns with Colombo spices.
The highlight is a modern take on a Martinique classic, called a chicken Creole trempage, normally a bready, saucy bit of heaven but in Chef Ravin’s case, served with a truffle risotto on banana leaves.
Desserts are autumnal figs, a chocolate assortment and physalis, which is made with rose petal milk and fruit crackers.
Price is set at €485 per person.
Blue Bay, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, 40 Avenue Princesse Grace
The Lobby Lounge at the Fairmont Hotel Monte-Carlo, photo by Jean Michel Sordello
Lobby Lounge
The Lobby Lounge at the Fairmont has seen its fair share of romantic evenings, and with their Valentine’s Day menu, it will be taken to another level.
Lovers can enjoy sea views by the romantic flicker of candlelight, and a reasonable €90 per person menu that is made for two. It features a four-course dinner of fresh and smoked tuna ceviche with Menton lemon and basil, Arctic char confit with citrus fruits, and sole and Jerusalem artichokes, before finishing with a selection of dark chocolate with raspberries.
This memorable evening will be capped off with the chance to win an 18-carat gold necklace with simulated pavé diamonds by JEM Paris, the first ethical jewellery house in France.
If that doesn’t create the right mood, nothing will!
Lobby Lounge, Hôtel Fairmont Monte-Carlo, 12 Avenue des Spélugues
For some sweet heartfelt gestures, there is the Patisserie Riviera Monte-Carlo who have adorable biscuits spelling out ‘love’, some heart shaped and some with ‘x’s and o’s’.
Cova (feature picture) is creating all-red cakes and boxes stuffed with Valentine’s themed treats, and delicious love cookies that can be ordered ahead of time and enjoyed on the day, or any other day for that matter!
And Rampoldi is cooking up a special citrus sponge cake with Madagascar light cream and a rose-scented litchi in the shape of a heart. Adorable, right?
The couple’s suite at the Spa Metropole by Givenchy
Couple time
For some relaxation time together, why not take a couple’s suite at the Spa Metropole by Givenchy. This special treat, available for the whole month of February, includes the privatisation of a suite for one hour, a jacuzzi bath, fruits and juices, a private sauna, one hour ‘divine harmony’ massage per person, and access to the Heat Experience (hammam, sauna, caldarium, sensory showers) and relaxation room.
Price is 515€ for 2 people.
Afterwards, enjoy a cocktail in the lobby bar – a Valentine’s Kiss or or Valentine’s Passion, only available on the 14th February.
Spa Metropole by Givenchy, Hôtel Metropole, 4 Av. de la Madone, 98000 Monaco
Business professionals in Monaco can now obtain their electronic signature or certificate seal online as part of the Extended Monaco program.
The electronic signature is the equivalent of a handwritten signature for a digital document. It can demonstrate that a document has been signed by an identified person, that the document has not been modified, and carries the same value as a handwritten signature.
Benefits include the saving of time, as all administrative documents for suppliers, partners or internal use can be dematerialised and signed electronically; enhanced security for documents: the components of the electronic signature include a digital fingerprint of the original document; it reduces cost and is eco-friendly; and it is useful for carrying out the remote exchange of probative digital documents.
“The electronic signature will simplify the life of businesses in the Principality, for all day-to-day acts that require a signature,” says Julien Dejanovic, Director of Digital Services. “This is an essential issue of their digital transformation, and the process of dematerialisation with secure and optimised exchanges; and all the more so in a context where distance has become a norm.”
Who can access it?
All companies registered with the Monegasque RCI, as well as the administrative services of the State, can now have a signature certificate.
Any legal representative of a company registered with the Monegasque RCI can submit an online request on the MonGuichet.mc portal.
“This new online approach is another step in the process of continuous improvement of the services we offer to companies,” said Stéphan Bruno, Director of Economic Expansion. “We will continue to dematerialise the most used procedures while ensuring that we maintain a direct link with economic players and fully exploit the advantages of our local administration.”
