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Day: 16 April 2024

Georges Marsan speaks publicly for first time since returning as mayor amid corruption charges

by: Cassandra Tanti
16/04/2024

Monaco Mayor Georges Marsan has held his first press conference since returning to office, telling local media that he is innocent of all charges and plans to file a complaint of his own. 

In the press conference held early Tuesday morning at the Mairie, Mayor Marsan thanked the entire Municipal Council, in particular Camille Svara who stepped in as mayor for several months “in unprecedented and delicate circumstances” as well as staff of the Mairie who carried out their missions with “professionalism”. He said it shows that the local council remains “impervious to any destabilisation”.

See also: Monaco Mayor Georges Marsan among five individuals facing corruption charges

Georges Marsan was arrested and charged in December 2023 for influence peddling and corruption. Maintaining his innocence throughout, Monaco’s long-running mayor was prevented from having contact with Mairie staff and exercising his function as mayor for four months.

On 16th April, the Monaco Prosecutors Office confirmed that the ban had been lifted and Marsan was authorised to return to his position, adding that he remained charged and presumed innocent.  

Addressing those charges on Tuesday, Georges Marsan said: “I have nothing in my soul and conscience to reproach myself for (…) and I will not stop trying to establish my innocence.”

The politician is prevented from saying anything further about the case, except that he is still barred from having any contact with the Condamine market traders. 

Mayor Marsan announced during the press conference that he intends to file a complaint with the Attorney General of Monaco against an unnamed person/entity for violating the secrecy of the investigation.

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Photo source: Mairie de Monaco

 

 

The Journey Never Ends: David Yarrow returns to G&M Design Gallery

by: Niki Borisova
16/04/2024
david yarrow

David Yarrow, one of the world’s bestselling photographers, has unveiled his captivating new exhibition and collection, The Journey Never Ends, at the G&M Design Gallery on Monaco’s Avenue Princesse Grace.  

On Thursday 12th April, David Yarrow travelled to the Principality to attend the launch of his latest exhibition in person.  

It is not the first time that the famed photographer has displayed his work in the Principality nor is it his first exhibit at the G&M Design Gallery, which is owned by British interior designer and businesswoman Tina Green. 

“When I first came here 10 years ago, I didn’t know anyone, but now I know a lot of people and I like to talk to friends rather than strangers, so every time I come back to this gallery, I feel like I’m home since I have exhibited here around six times already,” he told Monaco Life at the vernissage.  

The new show, entitled The Journey Never Ends, showcases Yarrow’s most recent works, each set in dramatic landscapes and surroundings, and often blending the wild with the world of celebrity. 

“I seek to entertain and perhaps, at the margin, remind people that we live in a beautiful world,” he shared.  

“Go the extra mile” 

Through his photographs, one can see Yarrow’s dedication to getting the perfect image, a viewpoint that no one has seen before.  

As he tells Monaco Life, “I think that, in Monaco, like a lot of places of wealth and luxury, people see a lot of content and to grab someone’s attention you must go the extra mile, you must push yourself.” 

One of his famous pieces, The Siberian, is proof of this determination.  

This masterpiece captures a Siberian tiger, an endangered species, looking directly at the camera. To capture the shot, Yarrow had to use his influential connections to gain the right to travel to a remote part of the country with permission from the Chinese authorities. It was a rigorous process.  

“The most important thing in photography is to know how to negotiate to get your camera into places no one has been to,” he said. “The road does go on forever and the journey never ends - I am a lucky man to call this a job.” 

Check out our reel of the vernissage event below:

 

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Photo by Monaco Life 

Coral reef crisis and conservation on the agenda at upcoming Tara Pacific Mission conference

by: Elsa Carpenter
16/04/2024
tara pacific

Two researchers from the Centre Scientifique de Monaco who participated in the Tara Pacific Mission between 2016 and 2018 will be presenting their findings from the expedition, along with a detailed exploration of the state of coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean, at an event to be held at the Lycée Rainier III in May. 

The Tara Pacific Mission, which took place between May 2016 and October 2018, was an extensive expedition that canvassed an area of more than 100,000 km2 in the Pacific Ocean.

In all, 32 archipelagos and their coral reefs were explored and recorded by the team onboard the Tara schooner, who carefully collected some 58,000 samples during hundreds of dives. 

Under the scientific leadership of the Centre Scientifique de Monaco (CSM) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and supported by the Tara Foundation, it was the largest scientific expedition of its kind ever to be carried out, not only because of the duration of the mission, but also because of the diversity of sites explored and the varieties of corals considered. 

On Tuesday 7th May at the Lycée Rainier III, two scientists who took part in the expedition, Dr. Stéphanie Reynaud and Dr. Didier Zoccola, will be presenting their first-hand findings and discoveries at an event organised by the Les Amis du Centre Scientifique de Monaco association.  

The discourse will be centred on reefs in the Wallis and Futuna overseas collectivity and ocean acidification in Palau as well as the researchers’ personal insights on the importance of coral reef conservation and protections.  

The pair will also be delving into the hard facts on the state of coral reefs in the region, which are increasingly under threat from human and climactic stresses.  

Prior registration is required for the event, but it is entirely free to attend. For more information and to reserve a seat, click here.  

Read related:

CSM’s Denis Allemand speaks on ambitious project to study coral reefs and the impact of climate change

 

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Photo credit: Pierre de Parscau

Monaco Government launches compulsory GDP survey for all economic actors in the Principality

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/04/2024
gdp monaco

The Monegasque Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, also known as IMSEE, has announced the activation of a compulsory GDP declaration survey for all of Monaco’s economic entities. The goal of the survey is to calculate the Principality’s 2023 gross domestic product. 

Defined by the International Monetary Fund as “the monetary value of final goods and services produced in a country in a given period of time”, GDP counts all of the output generated within the borders of a nation. It is composed of goods and services produced for sale in the market, as well as certain nonmarket production, such as defence or education services provided by the government.   

IMSEE’s study into Monaco’s GDP in 2023 will be an important tool used by the Prince’s Government to assess and observe the country’s economic policies in both domestic and international contexts. 

COMPULSORY PARTICIPATION

Participation in the survey is obligatory for all economic entities in Monaco, but the government has sought to reassure business owners that it has “no tax implications”. 

Those who must complete the survey include: all legal persons governed by private law and all Monegasque public institutions; all natural persons carrying out, as a self-employed worker, a skilled trade or commercial, industrial or professional activity in the Principality or renting a business or parking lot; any individual who rents furnished accommodation, land and non-residential property, such as a business or car park; all companies and businesses, whose headquarters are located abroad and who have opened or use an agency or a branch, administrative or representative office in Monaco; any foreign (natural or legal) person who occasionally carries out business in the Principality. 

See more: Economy: Revenues exceed €20 billion for the first time in Monaco

Full details on how to complete the required forms, which must be submitted by the end of May this year, can be found on the MonEntreprise government portal or by clicking here.  

Accountancy firms, estate agents and property managers are able to submit returns for their clients.

The IMSEE team will be able to assist with any questions or queries regarding the GDP survey and can be contacted via email at pib@gouv.mc or by telephone on 8000 2008. 

For further information, click here.

 

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Photo source: Glenn Carstens-Peters, Unsplash

Hôtel de Paris and Hôtel Métropole earn ‘Michelin Key’ status in new prestigious guide

by: Elsa Carpenter
16/04/2024

In the very first edition of the Michelin Hotel Guide, two of Monaco’s most prestigious establishments, the Hôtel de Paris and the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, have earned high praise. 

Launched earlier this month for the first time in the history of the legendary Michelin Guide, the new Hotel edition celebrates the finest establishments in France and Monaco. In the months to come, other nations around the world will be added to its scope, from Italy and Spain to select cities in the US and Japan.  

Though around 600 hotels come recommended in the newly published France and Monaco guide, less than 200 have been honoured with the equivalent of the iconic Michelin star. 

For hotels of the highest calibre, it is a Michelin key that designates their status as among the best.  

One key means a very special stay in a place of character and personality, two keys stand for exceptionality – “Somewhere truly unique and exceptional in every way,” according to the guide’s inspectors – while the ultimate accolade of three keys equates to the extraordinary. 

“It’s all about astonishment and indulgence here – this is the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance,” explains the guide, “a trip of a lifetime.” 

The courtyard of the Hôtel de Paris. Photo by Monaco Life

Just 24 hotels received the elevated honour of three keys, including Monaco’s famous Hôtel de Paris in Casino Square.  

The beautiful 19th century building, which benefitted from a spectacular renovation in 2019, is also home to the three Michelin star Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse restaurant and the one-starred Le Grill, headed up respectively by chefs Emmanuel Pilon and Dominique Lory.  

The Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo has also been rewarded by this new reference in hospitality with two keys. The news comes just weeks after the hotel celebrated the awarding of two Michelin stars to its flagship restaurant, Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac, a feat achieved less than a year after its doors first opened.  

The Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, photo by Monaco Life

Beyond the borders of the Principality, a number of other prestigious hotels in the French Riviera have earned recognition in the Michelin Hotel Guide. Among those to claim three keys are the resplendent Grand Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, Antibes’ glorious Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc and Saint Tropez’s  beachfront enclave of La Reserve Ramatuelle. 

Provence’s spread of luxury hotels scored highly with the Michelin Guide’s inspectors too, with three keys going to the Hôtel du Castellet, which recently earned three Michelin stars for La Table du Castellet, Gordes’ La Bastide de Gordes and Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence. 

See more: Michelin Guide 2024: New stars awarded to French Riviera restaurants

Nice’s famed Le Negresco picked up two keys, as did Château Eza and the Château de la Chèvre d’Or in Èze, The Maybourne Riviera in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Saint Paul de Vence’s Le Domaine du Mas de Pierre, the Airelles Saint Tropez Château de la Messardière and Cheval Blanc Saint Tropez, and Cassis’ Les Roches Blanches. 

To explore the full list of hotels to win acclaim in the new guide, click here. 

SEE MORE:

Michelin Guide 2024: Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac earns two stars in its first year

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Photos by Monaco Life

International School of Monaco becomes home to Europe’s first Wi-Fi 7 campus network

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/04/2024

In a landmark move that positions the International School of Monaco as a pioneer in Europe, the private education establishment recently teamed up with Huawei, the Chinese digital communication and technology giant, to build the first Wi-Fi 7 equipped campus-wide network on the continent. 

With a student body of more than 800 pupils and boasting a Top 10 ranking in the 2024 Spear’s School Index, the International School of Monaco (ISM) already has a lot going for it.  

Now the private education establishment has another feather in its cap; ISM is now home to Europe’s very first Wi-Fi 7 equipped campus. 

Featuring ultra-high-speed internet and lightning-fast downloads, the system is comprised of Huawei’s High-Quality 10 Gbps CloudCampus Solution with the Wi-Fi 7 AP AirEngine 8771-X1T and CloudEngine S5732-H multi-GE switches, as well as modular deployment and smart operations and maintenance features.

“We use Huawei’s High-Quality 10 Gbps CloudCampus Solution to provide full Wi-Fi 7 network coverage in classrooms, canteens and auditoriums,” explains Frédéric Mondou, Director of IT at ISM. “Teachers and students can stay connected anytime and anywhere. With Wi-Fi 7, the latest generation of Wi-Fi technology, we are ensuring our investment for the next 10 years.” 

The system was integrated into the school in just two short months and is now fully operational. 

 

“Huawei’s technological advancements extend into its product innovations, particularly in Wi-Fi 7, which features state-of-the-art smart antenna, converged scheduling and other ground-breaking technologies,” say Huawei representatives in a press release. “These innovations significantly enhance network performance, bandwidth and user concurrency while improving network stability and coverage.” 

According to the Chinese tech conglomerate, “A prime example of Huawei’s Wi-Fi 7 prowess in action is the transformation of the International School of Monaco (ISM) into Europe’s first Wi-Fi 7 campus. This upgrade has enabled seamless, high-speed online and interactive learning experiences, setting a new benchmark for educational institutions worldwide.” 

For more information about the partnership project, click here.

Read related:

“Ideas worth spreading”: ISM students take to the stage for TEDxYouth talk

 

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Photo source: International School of Monaco, Facebook