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Month: June 2024

Le Grill’s Dominique Lory invites Chef Yoann Conte to Monaco 

by: Elsa Carpenter
10/06/2024

The next round of the Festival des Etoilés, Monte-Carlo SBM’s showcase of international culinary talent, will see Le Grill’s two-Michelin starred Chef Dominique Lory collaborate with Yoann Conte, the equally acclaimed chef and owner of La Table de Yoann Conte at La Maison Bleue in Veyrier-du-Lac.   

Over two special dinner services on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd June, these two exceptional chefs will be treating diners on the eighth floor of the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo to an exclusive six-course à la carte experience.  

The menu is being kept strictly under wraps, but SBM has subtly hinted that it may well feature a selection of dishes to share.  

Lory spent 10 years working under the maestro Alain Ducasse at Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse before taking over the kitchens of Le Grill, the five-star hotel’s second top-flight restaurant, in 2022.  

Yoann Conte, meanwhile, goes by the nickname of ‘The Mountain’, a fitting moniker given the location of his well-respected hotel, La Maison Bleue, which is found on the edge of Lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie. La Table de Yoann Conte, the hotel’s flagship eatery, received two Michelin stars in the recent edition of the famous guide, as well as a green star for Conte’s profound appreciation for local and sustainable produce.  

The price for this unique culinary experience has been set at €450 per person, excluding drinks.

For more information and to reserve a table, click here.

Read related:

Spring surprise: Festival des Etoilés Monte-Carlo 2024 debuts in April, promising culinary brilliance

 

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Photo credits: Monte-Carlo SBM / Yoann Conte

Monaco announces new Minister of State: Didier Guillaume to succeed Pierre Dartout

by: Cassandra Tanti
10/06/2024

In a significant governmental transition, Didier Guillaume will assume the role of Minister of State on 2nd September, succeeding Pierre Dartout, who has held the position for the past four years.

Didier Guillaume is a seasoned public servant with a distinguished career, having previously served as the French Minister of Agriculture and Food. His extensive experience includes roles as a senator for the Drôme, First Vice President of the Senate, and President of the General Council of the Drôme department.

In a statement Monday 10th June, Prince Albert II has expressed his “deepest gratitude to M. Pierre Dartout for his exemplary service and unwavering loyalty. During his tenure in Monaco, Mr. Dartout enabled the Principality to navigate the health crisis while supporting long-term goals of sustainable development, digital transition, attractiveness, and administrative modernisation. His Serene Highness will soon pay tribute to the qualities with which he has fulfilled his mission.”

Prince Albert II will “soon pay tribute to the remarkable qualities with which M. Dartout has fulfilled his duties” and he “extends his warmest wishes for personal fulfilment.”

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Photo source: Didier Guillaume public Facebook page

 

 

Monaco investigation into Lawyer Bersheda violated privacy rights, rules ECHR

by: Cassandra Tanti
07/06/2024

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a Monaco judge’s investigation into lawyer Tetiana Bersheda, linked to billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, violated fundamental human rights. The case involved an invasive and unrestricted search of Bersheda’s phone.

Tetiana Bersheda, a lawyer for Dmitry Rybolovlev, was under investigation in Monaco in 2017 for allegedly recording a private conversation with a friend of Rybolovlev in relation to the fraud case with Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier. The case was entrusted to Edouard Levrault, a French judge seconded to the Monegasque judiciary.

In the context of her defence, Bersheda handed her phone to the police to verify the recording, but the investigating judge authorised a broad, unrestricted examination of her phone that she used for both private and professional purposes, recovering massive amounts of data, including previously erased information unrelated to the investigation.

A violation of the right to respect for private life

After both the Court of Appeal and the Cour de Révision in Monaco rejected Bersheda and Rybolovlev’s applications challenging the conduct of the investigation, the European Court of Human Rights ruled unanimously on 6th June that there had been a violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, referring to the right to respect for private life.

The EU court determined that the investigation had exceeded its scope, lacked safeguards to protect Bersheda’s professional privilege as a lawyer and involved indiscriminate data recovery. These actions were deemed disproportionate and not “necessary in a democratic society”.

Following the court’s decision, Dmitry Rybolovlev’s attorneys released a statement, saying, “The defense had claimed for years that the previous investigating judge, in order to indict Mr. Rybolovlev, had no right to search indiscriminately through his lawyer’s phone to extract messages related to her legal activities. By doing so, he gravely breached attorney-client privilege.”

“These entire criminal proceedings are therefore tainted,” said Rybolovlev’s legal team. “Indeed, the proceedings were based solely on the illicit misuse of Ms. Bersheda’s phone and the false interpretation of the messages obtained in this manner. All procedural consequences in favour of Dmitriy Rybolovlev must be drawn from this.”

The Rybolovlev v Bouvier affair

Russian collector Dmitriy Rybolovlev, who is the owner of the AS Monaco football club, had accused Yves Bouvier of swindling him out of €1.1bn from the €2bn sale of 38 works of art between 2003 and 2014. Bouvier has always denied any wrongdoing, claiming he acted as a dealer, free to set his own profit margins, and not as an agent.

The epic legal battle that played out for almost a decade came to an end in December 2023, when the pair settled out of court in an agreement covering all of their legal disputes in all jurisdictions, from Hong Kong to Monaco. 

 

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‘Miquel Barceló, Oceanographer’: Villa Paloma’s deep dive into oceanic art

by: Niki Borisova
07/06/2024

In a new exhibition at the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco’s Villa Paloma, Spanish artist Miquel Barceló takes visitors on an immersive voyage through the underwater world with his signature multi-discipline blend of paintings, ceramics and textures. 

‘Miquel Barceló, Oceanographer’ officially opened to the public on 7th June following a special vernissage earlier in the week.  

The exhibition is Barceló’s first major showcase that is solely dedicated to the oceans, but the marine world has always captivated the Spaniard, who describes the works displayed at the Villa Paloma as “an immersive dive without breathing equipment”. 

Speaking to Monaco Life at the press unveiling, Barceló said, “Each floor of the Villa Paloma represents a different theme of the sea, accompanied by different lighting in an intimate and pleasant setting.”

The experience begins on a path that traces the origins of life through to our own human interactions with the sea: fishing, sailing and cooking. 

The ‘Miquel Barceló, Oceanographer’ exhibition features the full breadth of the artist’s talents, from painter to sculptor and ceramicist. Photo by Monaco Life

In his paintings, Barceló plays with textures, recreating the meeting of the Earth’s crust with the seafloor and water through layering. He teases the sensations of underwater tremors and of crashing waves with creations that intersect an array of techniques and materials.  

Barceló’s notebooks, where he sketches, writes and records his thoughts during his artistic process, are on display on the second floor of the museum, offering visitors an authentic insight into the mind and imagination of one of the greatest contemporary artists of our time.  

Björn Dahlström, the director of the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco (NMNM), shared with Monaco Life, “We are very honoured to be hosting such a unique exhibition.” 

The exhibition will be open to the public every day from 10am to 6pm until 13th October, except in July and August, when the opening hours switch to 11am to 7pm. Tickets cost €6, but entrance is free on Sundays.  

For more information about the exhibition, click here. 

 

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Photos by Monaco Life 

Betclic Elite: Game 2 defeat sends Roca Team to Paris for finals tie-breaker

by: Stephanie Horsman
07/06/2024
betclic elite final

A disappointing defeat at the hands of Paris Basketball means that the Roca Team will now have to travel to the French capital for Game 3 of the Betclic Elite finals. It will be the deciding game, one that will determine the outcome of the league.  

Following a strong 90-80 win in the opening match, the Roca Team were off their stride for Game 2, which was held at Salle Gaston Médecin on Thursday 6th June. 

Despite a third-quarter comeback, the Monaco side still came up short, with the fixture ending 70-77 in favour of the French team. 

Though frustrated by the defeat, the team was courteous to the Parisians, with Coach Sasa Obradovic saying, “We must say congratulations to Paris, who deserved to win this match.” 

His displeasure with the result was clear, however, with the Serbian coach adding, “This was not the case for us. We didn’t deserve it tonight. That’s all. We cannot hope by starting this way, by missing throws like this, by not being focused as we have seen. This has happened to us several times. If we don’t wake up in the final, when will we? I hope the players do more in Paris.” 

To add insult to injury, individual scores were also down in this game. Élie Okobo led the charge with 15 points on the night, followed by Alpha Diallo, who scored 14. Petr Cornelie rounded out the Top 3 with 11 points.  

“We got off to a very bad start,” said Cornelie, the Roca Team’s power forward, post-game. “We conceded a gap in the first five minutes… It’s a series, we have to go get this Game 3.”  

And that game is only just around the corner. On Sunday 9th June, the Roca Team will need to put their talent and skills to work at Paris Basketball’s impressive Adidas Arena if they hope to retain the Champions of France title that AS Monaco Basket claimed in 2023.  

Read related:

Roca Team dominates Paris Basketball in first game of BetClic Elite finals

 

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Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket

Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs attends opening of new consulate in Monaco

by: Celina Lafuente de Lavotha
07/06/2024

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, was welcomed to Monaco earlier this week to meet with Prince Albert II and officially open the Principality’s new Hungarian Consulate.

Born in 1978 in Komárom, Hungary, Péter Szijjártó has played a pivotal role in Hungary’s political landscape.

During his official visit on Tuesday 4th June, Szijjártó attended the inauguration of the new Hungarian Consulate in Monaco, a significant milestone in nurturing cultural and economic bonds between the two countries. Also present were Georges de Habsbourg-Lorraine, Ambassador of Hungary in France and Monaco, and Jose Luis Delso Martinez-Trevijano, the current Honorary Consul of Hungary in Monaco, who has been tasked with promoting cultural exchanges and facilitating business partnerships between Hungary and Monaco. 

Minister Szijjártó’s meeting at the Ministry of State with Monaco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, included a review of the bilateral relations between the two countries, which have flourished since establishing diplomatic ties in 2016. 

Later in the day, Szijjártó participated in a conference at the Metropole Hotel organised by the Monaco Economic Board, a key player in promoting economic cooperation between Monaco and Hungary. The meeting, themed ‘Business Destination: Hungary’, provided a platform for Monaco’s economic players to interact with the Hungarian minister and exchange of ideas for cooperation.

Read related:

Government latest: Educational grants, support for island states and international diplomacy

 

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