The French Riviera and the Var, like large parts of France, are experiencing a spike in winter air pollution, impacting health and instigating restrictions on driving and fireplaces. So, what impact is it having on human health and when will it end?
It’s easy to see air pollution in the summer – that haze of smog that settles along the horizon. But air quality also plummets in the winter time, we just can’t see it as clearly.
For several days now, the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var departments have been subject to heavy air pollution, with both departments placed under heightened vigilance.
The culprit, in particular, is fine particle pollution, mainly linked to industrial activity, automobile exhaust, and wood heaters.
In winter, the cold air is denser and traps this fine particle pollution in place for much longer, allowing it to be breathed in at a higher rate than in the summer.
Who is most likely to feel the effects of winter pollution?
Pregnant women, young children and infants, people over 65, asthmatics, and individuals with cardiovascular or heart problems are most likely to feel the respiratory effects of fine particle pollution and should limit their exposure.
The best way to do that is to spend as little time outdoors as possible, with as little physical effort as possible. Engaging in sports activity, especially outdoors, can increase fine particle inhalation up to 20 times.
If someone has difficulty breathing or cardiac discomfort, they should see a health professional.
Vulnerable people should also avoid travel, particularly on major roads during rush hours, and postpone the use of chemical products if they plan on using them.
The rest of the population should try to limit the use of cars as much as possible to reduce their impact on the situation.
When are people most at risk?
Concentration in the air is heavier at the starat and the end of the day.
The situation is expected to improve from Saturday with the arrival of a mistral wind.
Photo source: Unsplash
Dubai to host special anniversary of Monte-Carlo Polo Cup
The 10th edition of the Monte-Carlo Polo Cup will be held next month in Dubai, showcasing the Principality’s top players against those from Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Polo, with all the alluring visions this sport conjures up, is a fitting one to be played in a place as glamourous as Monaco. It evokes images of teams of riders perched on horses worth more than most people’s homes racing up and down a field whilst onlookers sip champagne and cheer them on.
Since 2012, the Principality has had a team of its own thanks to Francesco Mitrano, the founder and president of the Monte-Carlo Polo Federation, who set up a club dedicated to this sport of kings. A year later, with the support of Monaco’s “top authorities”, the very first Monte-Carlo Polo Cup was held.
The success of the first edition allowed the federation – and the event – to grow in prestige and popularity, attracting high-profile guests including royalty, government ministers, ambassadors and foreign dignitaries as well as partners, sponsors and patrons.
This year, the Monte-Carlo Polo Cup’s 10th anniversary edition will be held on 11th and 12th March in Dubai, another place known for its glitz and glam. Four top international federations – Saudi Arabia, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and, of course, Monaco – will go head-to-head under the desert sun.
“We are confident that we will have representatives from the royal families of all the four countries mentioned with us,” says Francesco Mitrano. “We have big plans for the future, and soon we’ll have prestigious events in Rabat, Monte-Carlo and Riyadh. I just came back from an amazing trip to Saudi Arabia and I’m so excited for this new partnership.”
Princess Charlene and Prince Albert pictured with Francesco Mitrano. Photo source: Monte-Carlo Polo Club
In addition to matches, the event will also set up meetings and conferences designed to attract new adherents to this exciting sport. On 12th March, an awards ceremony and gala dinner will round out the experience.
For more information about the Cup and the Monte-Carlo Polo Federation, click here.
The French-speaking world of geriatric oncology will converge on Monaco from 23rd to 24th March for a major meeting of specialist doctors and caregivers: the ninth edition of Monaco Age Oncology.
Held every two years, this event is dedicated to the exchange of information on medical advancements and new treatment approaches within the sphere of geriatric oncology.
“This is a major societal issue since the proportion of seniors is steadily increasing: today those over 65 represent 20.5% of the French population,” say organisers. “60% of people affected by a type of cancer are over 65 years old. The Monaco Age Oncology [event] provides a referential framework in which to share discoveries and mutual experiences, to advance knowledge on the diseases and on the therapies available, for the benefit of this population of patients.”
In all, some 600 specialists are expected to attend the conference at the Grimaldi Forum.
The 2025 United Nation’s Ocean Conference is to be held in Nice, adding to the growing list of important international events looking to the city to put on a good show.
The role of hosting the 2025 United Nation’s Ocean Conference, one of the biggest marine protection conferences in the world, has been awarded the city of Nice, it was announced by President Emmanuel Macron last week. The news came with word that the event will be co-organised by France and Costa Rica.
The selection of Nice was of little surprise to those in the know. During the 2022 Salon des Maires – also known as the Mayors Meeting – last November, the Var Matin news outlet reportedly overheard Macron promise Nice’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, that his city would be given “two major international meetings on the scale of a COP or a G20”.
“This is fair recognition of Nice’s commitment to the preservation of marine environments,” said Estrosi following the announcement. “The choice of the President of the [French] Republic to have Nice as the host city of this international summit, just a few months after its entry into the World Heritage of UNESCO, also attests to the ability of our city to welcome the biggest international events in the service of best promoting our country.”
The last United Nation’s Ocean Conference was held in Lisbon and co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya. Though the agenda has not been announced for the 2025 meeting in Nice, it should be noted that France and Costa Rica have a long-standing relationship of collaboration in the areas of sustainable management of the ocean and the improvement of marine governance, notably having worked together on the Alliance for the Conservation of Rainforests and on the Blue Carbon Coalition.
Monaco’s leader in the digital transition, Frédéric Genta, has accepted an invitation by the Club Suisse de Monaco to share his perspective and expertise on what the future Principality will look like.
Frédéric Genta is the Interministerial Delegate for Attractiveness and the Digital Transition. He is also a Swiss citizen, so it was with extra pride that members of the Club Suisse de Monaco came to hear a conference at the digital transition headquarters in Fontveille.
President of the Club Suisse de Monaco, Arik Röschke, introduced Frédéric Genta and spoke of his impressive background and career to date: the son of Swiss watchmaker and artist Gérald Genta, who’s most recognisable designs were that of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, Frédéric Genta was educated at the University of Paris X, ESCP Business School and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
His career has spanned tech giants such as Orange, Amazon and Google, and in 2018 Genta was appointed to make Monaco the most digital state in the world. He is currently in charge of projects like Smart City, the e-government programme, digital security and digital economy.
Club members heard how, over the past four years, the digitalisation of Monaco has experienced an exponential growth, generating an increase in employment and enabling the Principality to better meet the needs of residents, tourists, workers, investors and companies. The trend has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the future, the Principality would like, in particular, to encourage the establishment and facilitate the creation of businesses and attract people who contribute to the country’s prosperity with their knowledge and talents: real estate tech, yachting, ocean technology and family offices, as well as investors.
The event included a Q&A session and a cocktail during which members could further exchange with Mr Genta.
The Club Suisse de Monaco was founded in 1949. Its aim is to maintain social and cultural relations between Swiss and Monegasque people, as well as other nationals living in or visiting Monaco. By organising informative events in the fields of economics, politics and health with high-level personalities, the Club aims to promote exchanges providing a showcase of Swiss know-how and values.
The Princely family are synonymous with sport, from Prince Albert II’s career in bobsleigh to Pierre Casiraghi’s sailing exploits. Louis Ducruet is no different, and as he tells Monaco Life, he wants to make his own mark on the Principality’s sporting landscape.
Given the rich sporting heritage within his family, it is no surprise that Louis Ducruet has developed a strong affection for sport. The son of Princess Stéphanie and the nephew of Prince Albert II, Ducruet is a ubiquitous figure on the Monaco sporting scene. President of the Monaco Esports Federation, as well as the Barbagiuans, Ducruet has even grander ambitions to ensure his sporting legacy.
“Sport is in our blood”
“We are a sporting family, and we’re bathed in it from a young age, so it was a foregone conclusion [that I’d have a passion for sport],” Ducruet tells Monaco Life. The Monegasque doesn’t talk of pressure to enter onto the sporting scene, but rather a motivation, given that “every member of my family have excelled in the sports that they have competed in. It’s in our blood.” However, Ducruet’s mark will be different from those left by his family members, some of whom competed in the Olympics.
As the Monegasque tells Monaco Life, Ducruet developed an adoration for football at a young age thanks to trips to the Stade Louis II to watch AS Monaco. He recalls watching Les Monégasques at eight years old, during the team’s golden age with players including Fabien Barthez. Ducruet also played the game, featuring as a goalkeeper for a team when he played in Auron.
Louis Ducruet playing the Fight AIDS Cup, photo credit Michael Alesi/Eric Mathon, Frédéric Nebinger, Prince’s Palace
However, Ducruet’s sporting future wouldn’t be on the pitch. “I very quickly realised that I couldn’t make a career out of being a footballer so I quickly tailored my studies towards sports business and sports management,” says the 30-year-old. “I did a Bachelor’s in sports management and when I reached the end of my studies, I had this opportunity to work for AS Monaco with Vadim Vasilyev and Luis Campos, who trusted in me and who taught me a lot.”
Ducruet worked at the Principality club over five years, firstly as an opposition analyst, later as a recruiter, and finally, as an assistant to the vice-president. “For me, it was a dream to work for AS Monaco and to work for my childhood club. That multiplies your motivation by a thousand. There is the desire to do things well and also this fear of making a mistake. Luckily, I had people that accompanied me and ensured I learnt good things. I thank them for that, and now I’m on my own merry way with football.”
The path that he has chosen led to him to the Championship side Nottingham Forest. He joined the club back in 2020, at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, but despite spending little time on site, the experience proved invaluable. “I liked my period at Nottingham because, beyond the recruitment, which was difficult in the Championship because the budget wasn’t the same as in the Premier League, Evangelos Marinkis was a really good owner,” says Ducruet. “He loves football and his clubs Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest equally. He is involved but he won’t be stupid with his money and that’s what I enjoyed there, working with people like that who know how to manage football and don’t do stupid things.”
“The objective was always to come back to AS Monaco”
At Forest, Louis Ducruet was part of a team that presided over the recruitment of players, mostly on loan, that would lead the fallen giant back into the Premier League, before an incredible, unprecedented window that saw 21 new players arrive at the City Ground over the summer. Ducruet played a role in some of the dealings, liaising with the sporting director as well as manager Steve Cooper.
Ducruet left the club at the end of the summer window and is looking for his next step along a path that he hopes will eventually lead him back to his childhood club. “The objective when I left [Monaco] was to come back one day; go away to come back is what I told myself. For sure, I need to accrue more experience, be it positive or negative. Either way, any experience is good to learn from. So I want to do that and come back and do things well, because as I said, Monaco is my childhood club, and I don’t want to mess things up,” Ducruet tells Monaco Life.
Louis Ducruet with the winning Fight AIDS Cup in 2023, credit: Michael Alesi/Eric Mathon, Frédéric Nebinger, Prince’s Palace
He adds, “I am 30-years-old and I’m still young. I don’t have the pretence to arrive at the club tomorrow and take the reins of course. However, it is still an objective that I have in the back of my mind. The ideal post is that of the president, CEO, the complete management of the club and all of its aspects with a certain priority on the sporting side because it is that side that I like the most and where I feel best.”
A ubiquitous figure on Monaco’s sporting scene
Whilst Ducruet is hoping to accrue more vital experience en route to his end destination, he is already presiding over other sporting projects within the Principality. When it comes to his involvement in the Principality’s Esports team, national pride has a big part to play.
“It is an emerging sport,” he begins. “Now is the time to do it to avoid being too late. I wanted to do it for Monaco, for my country, so that the Principality doesn’t get left behind and so that the Principality can shine on another sporting scene. Monaco is a country of sport, for every sport, even lesser-known sports thanks to my uncle who competed in bobsleigh, and why not Esports as well? It is good to give a younger image to Monaco as well with new technologies and new fields that can help promote the Principality.”
Away from the digital world, Ducruet’s presidency of the Barbagiuans, a team that brings together Monaco’s footballing legends for charitable matches, allows for the annual fulfilment of a life-long dream.
“[Playing with the stars] is my bit of fun as president of the Barbaguians, I can’t lie! It’s an honour to play with players like Ludovic Giuly, Didier Deschamps and Fernando Morientes: these are all the players that allowed me to dream in 2003/04. They are all players that love Monaco so we have something in common. When I played my first game just over five years ago with the Barbaguians, my dream was to play with players like that,” Ducruet reveals.
Louis Ducruet’s sporting legacy in the Principality may not be decided by what happens on the pitch, but off of it. His work with the Esport Federation, the Barbagiuans, and AS Monaco have firmly established this young member of the House of Grimaldi as a respected name in the Principality’s sports management scene, and it is in this domain where his mark will ultimately be made.
