6 ° C
Profile

Month: December 2025

Public welcomed to Fight Aids Cup for sixth edition in January

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
31/12/2025

The Fight Aids Cup will return to Monaco’s Stade Louis II on January 24th, marking the sixth edition of the charity football match that brings together sporting professionals and celebrities in support of people living with HIV.

The match, which will kick off at 3:30pm, will see Prince Albert II’s Barbagiuans take on Princess Stéphanie’s FC Cirque, delivering to the audience both sport and fun, all while serving a greater cause.

All proceeds from the match will go to Fight Aids Monaco, founded and presided over Princess Stephanie, which fights for the dignity and well-being of people living with HIV.

“Over the years, what began as a small, friendly gathering has grown into a true celebration of solidarity,” said Louis Ducruet, founder of the Fight Aids Cup. “Every edition strengthens the commitment to Fight Aids Monaco, and highlights the power of sport to unite and inspire.”

This year’s format has been redesigned to create a more family-friendly and festive atmosphere, all while maintaining the event’s core mission.

Additionally, Moravia Yachting is among the sponsors supporting this year’s Fight Aids Cup.

Tickets for the match cost €10, though holders of tickets for the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival, which runs concurrently, can attend for free.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Moravia Yachting

Evacuated Monaco residents return home after six days as reinforcement work progresses

by: Cassandra Tanti
31/12/2025

Residents, businesses and companies evacuated from buildings near the former Collège Charles III can return home after six days in hotels, the Monaco government announced on Tuesday, following technical reports showing sufficient progress on embankment reinforcement work.

The government, in coordination with French authorities including the Prefecture and Beausoleil municipality, permitted the return after experts confirmed that emergency stabilisation measures had adequately secured the retaining wall above the former college building.

Seven anchor ties have been installed and activated on the failing wall, with three more to be completed by the end of the week, the government stated. Additional monitoring measures will be implemented to continuously evaluate the situation.

Permanent surveillance and emergency plans

Reinforcement work will continue to ensure long-term stability of the embankment overlooking the building, the government confirmed. Minister of State Christophe Mirmand has asked Monaco’s Fire Brigade to maintain an operational plan ready and provide affected residents with guidance on procedures to follow if necessary.

At an information meeting held before residents left their hotel accommodation, Mirmand reaffirmed the government’s permanent attention to the situation and thanked all those displaced for six days for their cooperation, which he said allowed the operation to proceed under good conditions.

Avenue de l’Annonciade has also reopened to traffic in its entirety from Tuesday 30th December.

Students won’t return to old classrooms

However, the 840 high school students who have been using the former Collège Charles III since September will not return to their previous classrooms. Reinforcement work still required on the wall behind the building’s blocks 1 and 2, and its encroachment on the site, makes student return impossible.

The government says it is finalising arrangements with all relevant parties to install classrooms at other sites as quickly as possible to resume in-person teaching.

The decision on resuming sports, community and recreational activities hosted in the former Technical High School building will be made based on measurements communicated after the three additional anchor ties are activated on Friday.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Government Communications Department

 

Condamine market to host farewell party ahead of temporary closure

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
31/12/2025

Monaco’s much-loved Condamine Market will host a special farewell celebration next week, before the interior of its hall closes temporarily.

La Mairie is inviting residents and visitors to join the free entrance event on January 7th, from 6:30pm to 10:30pm, under the theme ‘A se revëde’, Monégasque dialect for ‘see you again’.

The evening will feature a DJ set and dance floor, giving the community a chance to enjoy the market’s atmosphere before the temporary closure. Food and drink will be available for purchase on site throughout the event.

The Condamine Market, located in the port district, has long served as a gathering place for locals. It is for that reason that the event is open and welcoming for all, keeping up with the warm spirit of the market.

Wednesday’s closure will mark the beginning of the 13-month long, and much anticipated, renovation plans.

For the event, no prior booking is required as everyone is welcome to attend.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Cassandra Tanti 

Author Sylvie Le Bihan to discuss new novel at Hotel Metropole

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
30/12/2025

Award nominated novelist Sylvie Le Bihan will appear at the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo on January 20th to discuss her latest work, ‘L’ami Louis’.

The book takes readers through 20th century French literary history, honouring the working class roots of writers like Albert Camus and Louis Guilloux. Le Bihan pays tribute to the “petites gens”, the ordinary people, from whom these writers came.

Set in 1976, the novel follows Élisabeth Daguin, who returns to Paris to work as an assistant to Bernard Pivot on his television programme Apostrophes. Estranged from her family, her life changes when she meets the ageing writer Louis Guilloux, a friend of Camus who has faded from public memory.

What begins as a professional interview develops into a personal connection. Through their conversations, Louis reconnects with a lost love while Élisabeth uncovers secrets about her own family history.

In Le Bihan’s telling, major literary figures including Camus, Guilloux, Grenier and Malraux come vividly to life. Above all, the book explores friendship, solidarity and the values that guided these writers’ commitment to freedom.

Additionally, her previous novels have earned critical acclaim, with ‘Les Sacrifiés’ shortlisted for the prestigious Prix Renaudot.

Places are limited and advance booking is required. Anyone interested can contact (+377) 93 15 15 41 or m.fays@metropole.com to reserve.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Eric Garault

Energy-inefficient properties sell at 25% discount in France as rental restrictions bite

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/12/2025

Energy-inefficient properties in France are selling at steep discounts as rental market restrictions force owners to offload homes that can no longer be legally let, according to data released by French notaires in December.

Properties rated E, F or G on France’s energy performance diagnostic (DPE) accounted for 40 percent of all transactions in the existing housing market in 2024, according to a study on “green value” presented on 8th December during the notaires’ annual review.

Houses rated G sold on average 25 percent cheaper than those rated D, which notaires use as the reference category. For apartments, the discount stood at 12 percent.

Rental restrictions drive sales

Sales of energy-inefficient properties, known in France as passoires thermiques (thermal sieves), have surged since 2021 as regulatory changes have progressively restricted their use in the rental market.

Since 1st January 2025, all properties rated G on the DPE are considered substandard and can no longer be offered for rent, whether for new leases, renewals or tacit continuations of existing contracts. Properties rated F will face the same restriction from 2028, with E-rated properties following in 2034.

The tightening regulations have created a wave of sales as landlords exit the market rather than undertake expensive energy efficiency renovations. These properties, which can no longer generate rental income, now constitute the largest share of homes being sold.

The data covers the French property market as a whole. Monaco, which has its own building regulations and energy standards, follows different rules regarding property energy performance and rental restrictions.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti

 

George and Amal Clooney granted French citizenship for family privacy

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/12/2025

George Clooney has been granted French citizenship along with his wife Amal and their two children, according to an official decree published in France’s government gazette.

The announcement confirms the actor’s ambition to establish his family permanently in France, where strict privacy laws shield children from paparazzi attention. The 64-year-old two-time Oscar winner now holds dual US-French nationality.

“I love the French culture, your language, even if I’m still bad at it after 400 days of courses,” Clooney told RTL radio in early December, speaking in English. “Here, they don’t take photos of kids. There aren’t any paparazzi hidden at the school gates. That’s number one for us.”

French farm life

The couple lives with their eight-year-old twins on a farm in southern France at the Domaine du Canadel, a former wine estate near the village of Brignoles, which they purchased in 2021. Clooney told RTL that although the family travels frequently, their French home “is where we’re happiest”.

In a separate interview with Esquire magazine, Clooney expressed concern that his children might never “get a fair shake at life” in the United States, suggesting that life on a French farm would provide them with better opportunities.

Amal Clooney, a British-Lebanese human rights lawyer, speaks fluent French. She specialises in international law and human rights cases, representing clients at the International Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights.

European property portfolio

Clooney’s attachment to Europe predates his 2014 marriage to Amal. He purchased an estate in Italy’s Lake Como region in 2002, which became one of his primary residences. The couple also owns a historic manor in England.

Beyond their French property, the Clooneys maintain a New York apartment and property in Kentucky, though they reportedly sold homes in Los Angeles and Mexico over the past decade.

The move toward France suggests a strategic retreat from Hollywood’s media spotlight whilst maintaining proximity to European culture and privacy protections.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo credit: Harald Krichel, via Wikimedia Commons