Louis II Tunnel crash: the few details we know

14/04/2023

It’s been two weeks since the fiery car crash that tragically claimed three lives in early April, and very few details have been revealed about the victims and circumstances surrounding the accident.

It was the accident that shook not only Monaco, but the entire region: three lives, all taken in a single car accident, the likes of which have never been seen in Monaco before.

Authorities have been investigating the accident that occurred at around 4.15am on Saturday 1^st April in the Louis II Tunnel to try and piece together the circumstances of the tragedy.

Public Prosecutor Morgan Raymond this week gave Monaco-Matin an update on that investigation.

“Nothing as it stands justifies the opening of a judicial investigation and the referral to an investigating judge,” he told Monaco-Matin.

Autopsies that were performed on Wednesday 5^th April confirmed the victims’ identities, but they have still not been made public.

What is known is that all three were males aged in their 30s; one was French and the other two Swiss. Two of the victims worked in the banking sector in Monaco. One lived in Monaco, one in a nearby French region and one in Switzerland.

The hours before the tragic accident

According to Monaco-Matin, the men spent Friday evening at an establishment in Monaco and attempted to enter another one in the early hours of Saturday morning, but were turned away.

It is then that they are believed to have gotten into the Audi Q3 and driven through the Louis II Tunnel, in the direction of Port Hercule, where the accident occurred.

The public prosecutor is still reluctant to speculate on whether alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor in the accident, telling the local paper, “The investigators are still awaiting the results of the toxicological analyses of the samples taken during the autopsies, which will make it possible to confirm or invalidate certain working hypotheses of the investigators on the causes of the accident. These elements will be supplemented by technical expertise carried out on the accident vehicle. Given the progress of the investigation of the manslaughter charge, no hypothesis is excluded for the time being on the circumstances of the accident.”

Investigators were able to view private surveillance video in the tunnel to determine the circumstance of how the Audi Q3 hit the wall near the Auditorium Rainier III before bursting into flames, trapping its occupants inside the vehicle.

Excessive speed was considered the main cause of the accident early in the investigation.

“It seems in the current state of the investigations that excessive speed is the cause, undoubtedly not exclusive, of the accident,” the public prosecutor told the newspaper in the days following the accident.

The investigation continues.

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Photo by Monaco Life

Monaco’s workforce is almost double its resident population

by: Stephanie Horsman

14/04/2023

The first-ever wholescale analysis of Monaco’s job market was a major undertaking given the fact that the vast majority of workers live outside of the Principality’s borders.

Monaco’s labour market is rather unique in that it draws on a workforce derived from sources both domestic and beyond its borders.

As such, certain traditional labour market indicators – unemployment rates, for example – can’t accurately be calculated. Nonetheless, the Principality’s statistical agency IMSEE has now put together a first-of-its-kind paper tracking the information it can gauge, and the report has thrown up some interesting figures.

25% more jobs in a decade

The total number of workers is nearly twice as high as the number of residents, with French and Italian employees making up the largest proportion of non-resident staff. Also, the salaried workforce, which mainly works in the private sector and most often for small companies, resides primarily outside of the Principality. Workers of Monegasque nationality are in the minority.

The study found that employment has increased by nearly 25% since 2013, equalling 14,000 extra jobs, with the main driver being the private sector, which has added 12,000 of these positions.

During the same 10-year period, payroll increased by 28% and the volume of hours worked by 17.3%.

Private sector

At the end of 2022, the Principality had 71,314 jobs; more than 65,000 of these were salaried positions. Nearly 6,200 of these were self-employed or entrepreneurs. This shows a healthy increase of 4.7% over the previous year.

The private sector employed 55,472 people at the end of 2022, who worked 97.5 million hours. They were broken down into nearly 34,000 men and over 21,500 women. In 2022, an employee in the private sector was 42.4 years old on average: 42.2 years old for women and 42.6 for men. This is up on 2013 figures, when the average age was 40.9. Nearly 80% of these workers live in the local French communities that are adjacent to Monaco.

Teleworkers are on the rise, with 4,324 private sector employees able to take advantage of this system. This is 25 times the number recorded in 2017. Those who work from home are split roughly evenly between men and women.

Public sector

The public sector has 5,047 employees, with men being slightly more present, holding 55.9% of these jobs, though the male-female balances vary by department. For example, the Department of Social Affairs and Health appears to be the most feminised with over 76% posts held by women, while the Department of Equipment, Environment and Town Planning is by far the one with the largest proportion of men: 80%.

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Photo by Antoine Contenseau for Unsplash

Architecture through the lens: a Massimo Listri exhibition

by: Stephanie Horsman

14/04/2023

A new exhibition by photographer Massimo Listri and featuring a selection of “transcendental” photos that trace the artist’s long and storied career is being featured at the Moretti Fine Art Gallery.

Italian photographer Massimo Listri has made a career out of photographing empty rooms. This may sound anti-climactic until one actually sees the rooms he has put to film. Grandiose, imposing spaces are his forte and include castles, abandoned houses, libraries, cathedrals and theatres, which he presents in all their isolated beauty.

From 15th to 28th April, Moretti Fine Art has selected 15 of his most dramatic works to exhibit at the gallery on Avenue de la Costa in Monaco, each following his artistic journey and each as breath-taking in scope as the last.

A STYLE THAT AROSE FROM PASSIONS

Listri’s choice of subjects was born out a deep passion for interior design and antiques, along with his interest in art history.

As Apostolos Mitsios, the self-confessed design addict and renowned psychologist, writes: ”What makes his work unique is how he has made interiors look so absolutely vivid, as if they had a secret life of their own that only he knows how to portray. Listri has the extraordinary ability to capture all the small details that make the difference, and reveal all the stories that remain hidden behind the surface. Listri’s photos transmit an almost deafening silence, as if time had stopped and humans had suddenly disappeared and the only thing reminiscent of them are the interiors they’ve left behind, the remains of their lives and their passions, their art and their culture.”

For more information on how to see these incredible pieces in real life, please click here.

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.

Main photo: Massimo Listri, Musei Vaticani XX, Roma 2014, 120 x 150 cm ©PH. MASSIMO LISTRI

ISM welcomes head of International Baccalaureate Organization

by: Stephanie Horsman

14/04/2023

The International School of Monaco has received a visit from two distinguished guests from the world of education: the International Baccalaureate Organization’s Olli-Pekka Heinonen and Monaco’s Isabelle Bonnal from the Department of Education, Youth and Sport.

As the only International Baccalaureate (IB) school in the Principality, the International School of Monaco is understandably proud to be part of a prestigious system that is recognised and revered by higher learning establishments worldwide.

Welcoming visitors

On Wednesday 12th April, the school was singled out for a real honour, when it was visited by Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the International Baccalaureate Organization, and Isabelle Bonnal, Monaco’s Commissioner General of the Department of Education, Youth and Sport.

Students across all grades treated the visitors to speeches and performances, which were followed by a discourse from Heinonen on the topic of the future of international education.

The guests then visited several of the school’s classrooms, speaking with students and staff about their experiences. It was wrapped up with a luncheon attended by the ISM Board of Trustees, its Senior Leadership Team, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and IB Educator Network staff.

What is the International Baccalaureate?

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and its cousin, the IB Career-Related Programme, were created in the mid-1960s by a group of educators as a common curriculum for international schools by which children could be tested for university entry or in the pursuit of career-specific secondary education.

The two-year programmes are aimed at 16 to 19-year-olds and are available in 140 countries around the world. They provide an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education or specific practical employment, and are recognised by many top universities worldwide. 

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Photo credit: Ed Wright

A1 Padel: CMB Monaco Master returns with New York Yankees as an investor

by: Luke Entwistle

14/04/2023

The CMB Monaco Master Padel tournament, part of the A1 Padel circuit, will return to the Principality in June after investment from the iconic baseball team, the New York Yankees.

This year’s tournament will once again take place at the foot of the Monte-Carlo Casino and will attract the world’s biggest players, including Maxi Arce and Franco Dal Bianco.

The A1 Padel tour has already travelled to Cape Town and Seville, and was even as local as Beausoleil for the French Open. However, between 5th and 11th June, Padel, which is played by more than 30 million people globally and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, will return to the Principality.

New York Yankees invest in A1 Padel

In line with Padel’s growth globally, there has been an expansion of the A1 calendar and the tournament is attracting big investors. In late March, it was announced that the iconic American baseball team the New York Yankees would make a “strategic investment” in A1 Padel.

“Padel is growing rapidly, and A1 Padel is producing high-quality, dynamic events for players, fans and sponsors, and there is a remarkable opportunity for sustained expansion,” said New York Yankees President Randy Levine. “We look forward to serving as a strategic partner to elevate the sport of Padel and the A1 Padel brand, particularly in raising awareness in the United States and beyond,” he continued.

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Photo from Unsplash

Mandatory GDP survey now underway

by: Stephanie Horsman

14/04/2023

The annual calculation of Monaco’s GDP is underway, and all of the economic entities in the Principality have six weeks to complete the mandatory survey, ideally online.

As it does every year, Monaco’s statistics group IMSEE is calculating the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Principality of Monaco for the previous year (2022), with the help of local businesses.

The new campaign kicked off on Friday 14^th April, and people have until 26^th May to complete the questionnaire.

To make it as easy as possible, the government is encouraging people to make their declarations online at the IMSEE website: imsee.mc.

All economic entities in Monaco are required to fill out the declaration, regardless of the size and nature of their activity, whether it is of a commercial nature or not, and even if it was only partial in 2022 (created or ceased activity during the year).

“This statistical survey has no tax connotation, and is conducted by qualified and legally authorised agents of IMSEE,” said the Monaco Government in a statement.

The questionnaire will also be sent in the post, and includes a return envelope.

For any questions on the GDP survey, people can contact IMSEE representatives on the toll-free number 8000 2008, via the imsee.mc website or on (+377) 98 98 98 88.

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Photo by Burst on Unpslash

Day: 14 April 2023