EU–US trade deal sparks outrage as 15% tariff hits European exports

A new transatlantic trade deal has triggered political uproar after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed a flat 15% tariff on EU exports to the United States. While framed as a strategic necessity to avoid harsher sanctions from Donald Trump, critics warn the agreement could severely impact European industry — with Monaco’s high-value exports among the likely casualties.

A sweeping new trade agreement between the European Union and the United States has been signed, imposing a standardised 15% tariff on most EU exports to the American market. The deal, struck by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US presidential candidate Donald Trump, has already sparked widespread backlash from political leaders and trade experts across Europe.

According to von der Leyen, the agreement was necessary to prevent Trump from introducing a punishing 30% tariff, which she described as a serious threat to transatlantic commerce. “Today’s deal creates certainty in uncertain times,” she said. “We have stabilised on a single 15% tariff rate across most sectors, including cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. This 15% is a clear ceiling. No stacking. All-inclusive. So it gives much-needed clarity for our citizens and businesses.”

The agreement also includes zero-for-zero tariffs on selected sectors such as aircraft components, agricultural goods and critical raw materials, while steel and aluminium will fall under a new quota-based system. Von der Leyen described the outcome as a “building block reaffirming the transatlantic partnership” and praised Trump’s “personal commitment” to the deal, calling him “a tough negotiator, but also a dealmaker”.

Political backlash across Europe

Despite the Commission’s optimistic tone, reactions from European lawmakers have been scathing. MEPs from multiple parties labelled the agreement “a submission” and “a breach of WTO rules”. Many warned that the deal hands disproportionate advantages to the US while failing to secure meaningful concessions for Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly described the agreement as “a dark day for European industry”, while Spain’s Pedro Sánchez criticised its impact on competitiveness and inflation. Even within von der Leyen’s own European People’s Party, voices of discontent have emerged, with several members calling for an urgent parliamentary review.

EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič attempted to calm the backlash, calling the deal “the best outcome under very difficult circumstances” and defending it as a necessary compromise given the geopolitical instability and looming threat of protectionist escalation.

What it means for Monaco

As Monaco is bound to the EU’s common trade policy via its customs union with France, the Principality will be directly affected by the new tariff regime. Sectors reliant on exports to the United States — particularly those dealing in high-end goods such as luxury yachts, jewellery and bespoke manufacturing — now face a 15% cost increase when accessing the US market.

With no exemptions for luxury sectors, Monaco-based exporters may experience tighter margins, reduced competitiveness, and slower growth in transatlantic trade. The agreement could also complicate supply chains, particularly in areas tied to pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing.

While von der Leyen pointed to new energy cooperation and the opening of strategic sectors as future opportunities, Monaco’s niche economy — heavily reliant on trade predictability and low-friction international commerce — may see more pressure than promise from this latest shift in global trade dynamics.

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Photo source: European Commission

Night trains suspended from mid‑September: Monaco travellers to use replacement buses

From 15th September to 12th December 2025, all train traffic between Nice and Ventimiglia will be halted Monday to Thursday nights from 10pm to 6am due to rock wall works. SNCF is deploying a road substitution service in Monaco, while ZOU! Bus access remains available to qualifying subscribers.

SNCF Réseau has confirmed that from 15th September through 12th December 2025, no night-time trains will operate between Nice and Ventimiglia between 10pm and 6am, Monday through Thursday nights. The disruption is part of a scheduled rock wall reinforcement project located between Villefranche-sur-Mer and Ventimiglia. While regular services will resume during the day, late-night and early-morning travellers are advised to rely on alternative transport.

Monaco–Nice and Monaco–Menton bus links confirmed

To accommodate passengers during the works, a road substitution service will be put in place. In Monaco, buses will depart from the landing stage (minute drop-off) of Monaco-Monte-Carlo station. These substitute services are clearly identified on the Line 04 schedule sheet, which SNCF urges passengers to consult in advance.

In addition, ZOU! Bus services are available to holders of a ZOU! Train Subscriber Work Pass. These passengers may use the ZOU! Noctambus Line 601, running between Monaco and Nice from 10pm, Monday to Thursday, starting 1st September. Also available is a special early-morning ZOU! 600 bus from Menton (5:50am) to Monaco (6:15am), operating Tuesday to Friday from 15th September.

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Photo by Monaco Life

Black Jack 100 wins Rolex Fastnet line honours in thrilling offshore duel

Black Jack 100, owned by Yacht Club de Monaco member Remon Vos and helmed by Tristan Le Brun, was first to cross the finish line of the 51st Rolex Fastnet Race in the early hours of Tuesday 29th July. The 100ft maxi monohull completed the race in 2 days, 12 hours, 31 minutes and 21 seconds, claiming the Erivale Trophy for line honours in the monohull category.

Victory came after a relentless duel with SHK Scallywag, with both yachts trading leads in a series of close tactical manoeuvres. The race was decided off Fastnet Rock, where Black Jack 100 pulled away with three rapid sail changes in challenging conditions.

“Last year we lost to Scallywag by 20 minutes in the Middle Sea Race,” said Remon Vos. “This time, we were just that little bit faster.” Le Brun added: “Nothing was certain until the very end. We sailed close to shore in the dark for hours—it was delicate but decisive.”

SHK Scallywag crossed at 01:19, followed by Joost Schuijff’s Leopard 3 at 01:24, securing a strong showing for Monaco across the monohull podium.

Photo source: YCM

Admiral’s Cup tightens as YCM teams close in

Meanwhile, the Admiral’s Cup—revived this year after two decades—remains wide open. Pierre Casiraghi’s Jolt 6 (AC Class 2) and Peter Harrison’s Jolt 3 (AC Class 1) are both expected to arrive in Cherbourg by evening, with every minute counting in the team standings. YCM currently trails the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, with Yacht Club Costa Smeralda also in close contention.

Monaco sailors across the fleet

Elsewhere, Oren Nataf’s Rayon Vert, co-skippered by Vincent Riou, is nearing the finish in the multihull division. Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s Django entries, racing under the Italian flag, are also expected overnight. Young sailor Didier Schouten, from YCM’s Sports Section, is completing his first major offshore race aboard Ocean Breeze, continuing the Principality’s tradition of nurturing ocean racing talent.

As always in the Fastnet, the corrected-time rankings remain in flux, with the final standings only confirmed once the last boats arrive—true to the race’s reputation for high-stakes fairness and late drama.

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Main photo source: YCM

Jesolo hosts Italy’s first Water Safety Day with Monaco’s support

Jesolo in Veneto has hosted Italy’s first-ever Water Safety Day, an initiative led by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation in partnership with the Honorary Consulate of Monaco in Venice. Held on 23rd July, the event welcomed more than 140 children aged six to 12 for a day of hands-on safety workshops.

Organised by Honorary Consul Anna Licia Balzan and supported by the Municipality of Jesolo, the day included CPR training, rescue-themed sports and environmental awareness activities.

A highlight was the inclusive session with rescue dogs on a fully accessible beach, offering children with disabilities an engaging and safe experience.

Photo source: Consulat de Monaco à Venise

“Water safety education must be inclusive and memorable,” said Balzan. “This event proved that it can be both.”

The ceremony was attended by local authorities including Mayor Christofer De Zotti and Foundation representative Xavier Archimbault. The Foundation covered all logistical costs and provided gifts and t-shirts for participants.

With strong community support and positive feedback, organisers hope the event will serve as a model for similar initiatives across Italy.

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Main photo source: Consulat de Monaco à Venise

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo season looks inward with bold reimaginings and quiet milestones

The 2025–2026 season of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo steers away from spectacle for spectacle’s sake, instead offering a measured mix of introspection, innovation and homage. With a series of world premieres, quiet commemorations, and works that blur the lines between tradition and disruption, this year’s programme invites audiences to watch a company reflecting on its legacy while shaping its next chapter.

Opening in October at the Salle Garnier, the season begins with a double bill that signals the tone for what follows: See You, a new creation by Paul Lightfoot, paired with William Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman, a piece whose fractured structure and ironic wit still feel unsettlingly current. If there’s a message here, it might be that dance can still ask questions rather than deliver answers.

By December, Jean-Christophe Maillot returns with Ma Bayadère, a full-length creation that revisits and rewires a 19th-century ballet best known for its exoticism and ghosts. Maillot’s version, premiering at the Grimaldi Forum with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, suggests a more personal exploration of legacy — not just of the ballet itself, but of Maillot’s long tenure at the helm of the company.

legacy without nostalgia

The company turns 40 next year, but rather than staging a grand retrospective, the anniversary will be marked by a surprise Gala Evening in July 2026 — its contents withheld, perhaps deliberately. It’s a quiet nod to continuity over celebration, a choice that mirrors the company’s reluctance to dwell on the past even as it honours it.

That same ethos runs through Miniatures, a series of short premieres set for April. Choreographers including Francesco Nappa, Mimoza Koike and Aurélien Dumont contribute to a mosaic of pieces that suggest not a unified vision, but rather a cross-section of styles, voices, and possibilities.

the institution behind the art

The Académie Princesse Grace, a core pillar in Monaco’s dance ecosystem, marks its 50th anniversary this December with a programme that includes a gala in June. There’s ceremony, of course, but also something looser — the students will dance alongside live musicians, including Italian folk artist Antonio Castrignanò, giving the evening a more lived-in quality than a traditional showcase.

Meanwhile, Monaco Dance Forum remains the Principality’s most outward-looking platform. Highlights this season include Éric Oberdorff’s Waku Doki, and the Paris Opera Ballet’s La Dame aux Camélias, which closes the season in July under the direction of John Neumeier — one of ballet’s great storytellers of emotional restraint.

dancing elsewhere, watching at home

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will also tour widely — Venice, Madrid, Seoul, Riga — with Cendrillon, Roméo et Juliette, LAC, and Ma Bayadère making their way to international stages. Back in Monaco, audiences will be offered glimpses behind the curtain through public workshops, late-night performances at the Atelier, and a film screening (La Danseuse) that will no doubt resonate with those thinking about the sacrifices behind the scenes.

This season isn’t an explosion of colour or an anniversary soaked in nostalgia. Instead, it’s the kind of programming that favours a deeper connection: between artist and audience, between what ballet was and what it might still become.

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Photo source: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo

Monte Carlo Rally to return to F1 street circuit for first time since 2008

The Automobile Club of Monaco has revealed an exciting new itinerary for the 94th Monte Carlo Rally, featuring the first return to Monaco’s street circuit since 2008. 

Running from 22nd to 25th January 2026, the 94th edition will be based in Gap for the third consecutive year.

The headline attraction comes on Saturday 24th January, when rally cars will return to Monaco’s famous Formula 1 street circuit for the first time since 2008. The 2.82-kilometre super-special stage, scheduled for 17:45, will use the lower section of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. The last time rally cars tackled this iconic circuit was in 2008, when Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena claimed victory in their Citroën C4.

Four-Day challenge

The rally begins in traditional fashion with an official start from Monaco’s Quai Albert 1er on Thursday 22nd January at 14:00, following Wednesday’s 4.80-kilometre shakedown session in Gap at 14:01. The shakedown, introduced in 2017 and extended this year, now uses the Routes de la Garde and de Rabou in Gap.

Thursday’s opening leg features three demanding stages counting 61.58 competitive kilometres across the Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence departments. The day begins with Toudon/Saint-Antonin covering 22.90 kilometres at 15:35, followed by the 23.48-kilometre Esclangon/Seyne-les-Alpes test at 18:03, before concluding with the 15.20-kilometre Vaumeilh/Claret stage at 19:51.

Friday represents the rally’s longest day with 129.38 times kilometres across the Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. Crews will tackle a loop of three stages run twice, consisting of Laborel/Chauvac-Laux-Montaux at 17.84 kilometres, the challenging Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert/La Motte-Chalancon test covering 29 kilometres, and La Bâtie-des-Fonts/Aspremont spanning 17.85 kilometres. These legendary roads, known for their technical traps and unpredictable weather conditions, will provide a decisive test for world championship contenders.

Saturday’s shortened but intense programme spans 78.22 kilometres, highlighted by the new La Bréole/Bellaffaire stage via Col des Garcinets – the rally’s longest single test at 30.10 kilometres, run twice. The day concludes with the eagerly anticipated Monaco Circuit super-special.

Sunday’s finale includes 71.62 kilometres across two stages run twice. The concluding battles will take place on Col de Braus/La Cabanette covering 12.48 kilometres and La Bollène-Vésubie/Moulinet spanning 23.33 kilometres, with the latter serving as the Wolf Power Stage on its second running at 13:15.

The complete route encompasses 17 special stages covering 340 competitive kilometres, with the victory ceremony scheduled for Monaco’s Port Hercule from 17:00 on Sunday 25 January.

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Main photo by Automobile Club de Monaco.