French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne has announced salary increases for a portion of the country’s health care workers as well as access to over-the-counter antibiotics for two common illnesses.
Health care was the focus of French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne’s speech at Rouen University Hospital at the end of August, where she revealed two core changes. Here’s what you need to know.
PAY RISES
Health care workers will now see a 25% salary rise for nighttime shifts starting in January 2024. Those who take on Sundays and public holidays will see their current pay increased by a further 20%. Additionally, doctors in the private for-profit and non-profit sectors will also benefit from an already agreed 50% pay increase for on-call duties available to those in the public sector.
NEW PHARMACY DIAGNOSES
Following sweeping changes to the responsibilities of pharmacists, which include managing prescription glasses renewals and the administering of standard vaccinations, Borne has announced that people suffering from two more common illnesses – tonsilitis and cystitis – can now head directly to their local pharmacy for help. The affected will now be able to by-pass a trip to the doctor’s office and instead receive rapid diagnostic testing at the pharmacy and purchase the relevant antibiotic treatments needed.
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If you haven’t already received your taxe foncière bill, those on the Côte d’AZur should be prepared for a hike on last year’s amount of 7.1%.
Since last Wednesday, notices have been arriving in post boxes, inboxes and on the impots.gouv.fr website. They concern the annual taxe foncière, which is increasing across France and could cause a serious shock to the pocketbook.
WHAT IS THIS TAX?
The tax foncière is a property ownership tax that is collected by local authorities.
It is calculated by multiplying the cadastral rental value by the tax rate. This is reassessed each year and increases are typically within the 3% range. This year, however, the increase is significantly more, with a nationally agreed rise of 7.1% and various increases at local level.
SHOCKING FIGURES FOR SOME
Many homeowners in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var could be said to be getting off lightly, as the taxes in most municipalities in these two departments are pinned to the new national rise of 7.1%. For example, the taxe foncière in Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Grasse will only rise by 7.1%, with no increase added by local authorities.
There are those living in certain Riviera towns, however, who will be facing even bigger bills.
According to a list published by FranceInfo and featuring the largest towns and cities with populations over 40,000 in France, homeowners in Le Cannet to the north of Cannes will be facing a 13.6% rise.
Elsewhere in France, and perhaps unsurprisingly, Paris is being hardest hit, with a 51.9% hike at the local level, meaning an overall rise of 62.7%. Property owners in Meudon in the Hauts-de-Seine will note a 44.7% increase, and Grenoble residents in Isère a 33.2% rise.
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From the worlds of sportscars and media to those of tech, gastronomy, global politics, health and gaming, Monaco is a popular choice of location for dozens of high-profile conferences and trade shows each year, but what makes the Principality such a good destination for these kinds of events?
With one of the biggest industry events of the year coming up later this month, the famous Monaco Yacht Show, we’ve come up with 10 reasons why Monaco is a great place to hold conferences and large-scale events.
1/ Travel and access
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, which is around 45 minutes by car from the centre of Monaco, is France’s third busiest airport and ranks second in Europe for business travel. The hub’s Summer 2023 programming offered direct connections to 116 places in 41 countries, including a number of flights to long-haul destinations in North America and the Middle East.
There are numerous chauffeurs and private driving companies operating in the area, as well as taxis and services like Uber, but you can also jump on a helicopter and skip the traffic to fly to the Principality in just seven minutes.
For those looking to cut down on their carbon footprint, getting to Monaco by train is an option well-worth considering. The Gare de Monaco Monte-Carlo regularly receives high-speed trains from the French capital of Paris – a journey that can take as little as six hours – and other European cities. Milan, for example, is four and a half hours away by rail.
2/ Choice of venues
For the biggest kind of conference, a venue like the Grimaldi Forum or the Chapiteau de l’Espace Fontvieille can accommodate large numbers of participants, visitors and exhibitors.
The innovative and pioneering Grimaldi Forum. Photo by Monaco Life
The One Monte-Carlo convetion centre is another strong venue contender given that its almost 1,5000 sqm floorplan is entirely dedicated to business tourism. It’s home to a number of different sized meeting rooms and a generous “amphitheater”. The Yacht Club de Monaco is also very popular for events with a maritime, technological or sustainable theme.
For a conference or congress requiring a more intimate scale, consider one of Monaco’s many illustrious “salles”, such as the Salle des Étoiles, the Salle Empire of the Hôtel de Paris, the Salle Belle Époque in the Hôtel Hermitage or the Fairmont’s Grand Salon and Salle d’Or.
If you’re organising an event that would suit the outdoors, then a place like the Casino de Monte-Carlo Terraces, Le Deck at Monte-Carlo Beach or even beside the Lagoon at Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort will provide a wonderful setting.
The foyer of the One Monte-Carlo convention centre. Photo credit: Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer
3/ Sustainability
Many, if not all, of the aforementioned venues come with good sustainability credentials. One Monte-Carlo, for example, has a Green Globe certification and the building is BREEAM-certified. Meanwhile, the Grimaldi Forum has nurtured a respectable “green policy” since the early days of its planning. Since its first ISO 14001 certification in 2008, the site has “managed to improve its energy efficiency by 35%, multiply its sorting rate 2.5x, and divide water consumption per visitor by more than half”, according to its website.
4/ Hotels and accommodation
If you’re travelling to the Principality for work, you’re going to need somewhere to wind down once the day or night of networking is done. Thankfully, there are lots of high-quality options in Monaco for just that.
Given the small size of the Principality, all local hotels are within a relatively easy reach of the centre and the various events venues so you needn’t been too picky about the specific location. Many of the “Salle” events spaces are found inside hotels while others have plenty of neighbouring hospitality establishments.
There’s also a decent number of privately rented properties via Airbnb, including a handful of boats bobbing in the water of Fontvieille and Port Hercule, that will appeal to a crowd looking for a more personal type of accommodation. These places can be a good deal cheaper than a traditional hotel room too!
Monaco’s sweep of Airbnb properties is unlike any other, and you can often find boats to rent as accommodation should you fancy a change from a hotel. Photo source: Philip Myrtorp, Unsplash
5/ Restaurants
Another great draw that Monaco has going for it is its vibrant and diverse gastronomy scene. Need a quick bite near the port? No problem, check out the Condamine Market. Looking for a lunch with a view or an authentic feel? Try somewhere up by the Palais Princier. Want to impress a client or potential new partner? Splash out at the Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse, Yannick Alléno’s Pavyllon or the recently opened Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac.
The newly opened Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac is a top place to take current or potential business partners. Photo credit: Studio Phenix
6/ Services and internet
Monaco is ploughing a lot of money and investment into its digital transition and high-tech attributes, and was the very first country to be officially fully covered by a 5G network. The Principality currently ranks 25th in the world for fixed broadband speed, with 136.47Mbps, according to the Speedtest Global Index.
7/ Safety
Monaco has one of the lowest crime rates in the entire world, and performs considerably better than other cities along the Riviera that are also popular events destinations, like Nice and Cannes.
There’s approximately one police officer for every 100 residents in Monaco and the force maintains a strong presence on the streets. In fact, not a single incidence of pickpocketing was recorded in the Principality in 2022.
8/ Weather
With 300 days of sunshine a year, Monaco is right up there with the sunniest destinations in the world. July and August are the hottest months of the year and, given that these are the busiest times of the year for tourism, should probably be avoided when planning a major conference or congress. Spring can be wet, but autumn is often an Indian Summer affair. Temperatures reach their lowest in December through to February, but monthly averages rarely register under 10°C.
Expect blue skies and sunshine 300 days of the year in Monaco. Photo by Monaco Life
9/ International outlook
The Principality has just shy of 40,000 permanent residents. Outside of the 8, 378 Monegasques, according to Monaco’s statistical agency IMSEE, there are around 9,300 French people and 8,180 Italians, who make up the largest proportion of foreign-born residents. The British are well-represented on the census, numbering around 3,800. Other nationalities that have noticeable numbers include the Swiss, Belgians, Germans, Russians, Dutch, Portuguese, Greeks, Americans, Swedish, Canadians and Spanish. Many more nationalities live here too, all contributing to a thoroughly international population and equally international outlook.
10/ Networking
This leads us on to our 10th and final reason why Monaco is a great place to hold a conference or event: the seemingly endless networking possibilities. One of the things that makes the Principality so special is the way in which people from all backgrounds, nationalities and perspectives can mix, make deals and socialise. The web of potential networking opportunities is vast in Monaco. You never know who you might bump into or be introduced to.
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Monaco’s associations and foundations are being “strongly encouraged” to attend an information session hosted by the government later this month, following recent changes to the law brought about by the Moneyval report.
Adjustments were made to the laws governing associations and foundations registered in Monaco at the start of August to meet international requirements laid out by the Moneyval Committee in January.
As a result, an information conference will be organised by the Prince’s Government on Wednesday 20th September at 6pm at the Rainier III Auditorium.
Chaired by the Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario, the conference – intended only for associations and foundations who have their headquarters in the Principality – will aim to raise awareness among all of these groups of the new obligations to which they will now be subject as well as the potential risks of money laundering and terrorist financing that these structures may face.
Participation is “strongly encouraged”, said the government in a statement Monday, and must be confirmed by email to the address: OBNL@gouv.mc.
Hugo Micallef, the “Fresh Prince of Monaco”, will box in the Principality for the first time later this month.
The undefeated Monegasque boxer registered his seventh professional victory against Michal Bulik at the start of June, and he is now set to fight on home soil for the first time.
Micallef will meet Denis Bartos in his eighth professional fight at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille on the evening of 23rd September. Since turning professional, the 25-year-old Monegasque, who is a good friend of fellow Monaco native athlete Charles Leclerc, hasn’t been taken out of his comfort zone by his opponents; he should feel at ease competing in the place he calls home. Tickets for the event will be made available soon.
Speaking on social media, Micallef, who is currently training in Las Palmas, said “I am very proud to be able to perform in front of my people, my friends, my family for the first time in my professional career. I’m looking forward to seeing you all, and I can’t wait to be there and experience it with you. Go Monaco!”
An eighth consecutive victory for Micallef, in front of his fellow Monegasques, would be the sweetest of them all.
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Monaco’s Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have been pictured behind the scenes of the launch of the Principality’s new public television station, TV Monaco, which hit screens for the first time on 1st September.
Residents of the Principality now have a new public television station to call their own following the launch of TV Monaco at 7.22pm on 1st September.
Found on Channel 9 on the Monaco Telecom box, the French-language programme is part of the TV5 Monde network, which has a viewership of roughly 60 million a week and is broadcast in 198 countries around the world.
PRINCE AND PRINCESS IN THE CONTROL ROOM
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene were present in the control room as TV Monaco came to life. For the Prince, the moment would have been particularly special as his father, Prince Rainier III, was instrumental in bringing TV to the nation.
“It is a great pride, a great joy but also a great emotion,” said the Prince. “The launch of a channel is always a very important moment… My father launched Télé Monte-Carlo a long time ago in 1959.”
The savvy sovereign clearly understands what it means to have a voice that reaches the outside world, adding, “There was this real desire to participate and to promote the Principality even more beyond our borders… A channel was needed to show other aspects of Monaco.”
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene pictured at the launch of TV Monaco. Photo credit: Palais Princier de Monaco
OTHER TOP DOGS
After a short report presenting the channel and its editorial staff, Minister of State Pierre Dartout, General Director of TV Monaco Salim Zeghdar and Yves Bigot, the General Director of TV5 Monde, had their turns on the microphone of the inaugural edition.
The Minister of State made no bones about the channel being an excellent way of promoting the Principality, saying, “We have a belief and a faith that this television channel will succeed and that it will be a very important tool for Monaco.”
Zegdar, who will soon be handing over the reins to Nathalie Biancolli following his appointment to the role of Administrator of the Estates of Prince Albert II, used his time in the spotlight to speak about the hard work that went into making TV Monaco a reality.
The modern looking set of TV Monaco, which has taken inspiration from the natural elements of the Principality. Photo credit: Palais Princier de Monaco
The channel will focus on four key themes: “the environment, current affairs, sport and the art of living” as explained by representatives for Prince Albert via the Palais Princier de Monaco’s Instagram page.
DEDICATED SPACE
The new headquarters, a 1,300m2 space in Fontvieille, will house an editorial team of around 30 journalists, including a dozen freelancers, and will be self-contained.
The presenters and guests are seated around a jellyfish-shaped console “reminiscent of the sun” and the backdrop features wood and rock elements to represent The Rock of Monaco.
A live broadcast set has also been set up, in keeping with the overall look of the channel.
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