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Monaco’s Ukrainian community unites for launch of Les Amis de l’Ukraine

by: Kayla Sauceda
13/04/2026

An evening at Les Grands Chais Monégasque brought together Monaco’s Ukrainian community and supporters for the launch of Les Amis de l’Ukraine.

On an evening defined by unity and togetherness, Les Grands Chais Monégasque held the inaugural cocktail reception for Les Amis de l’Ukraine, a new association here in Monaco led by Alexandre Caracchini.

Caracchini shared that the association, along with events like this, plays an important role in giving Ukrainians opportunities to meet and learn more about ongoing projects within the community. He noted that “together we are stronger”, emphasising that everyone can come together to help – Ukrainian or not. With such a positive response and strong turnout, Caracchini expressed high aspirations for the association’s future.

Building connection within Monaco’s Ukrainian community

Although he noted that roughly only 20% of Ukrainians in Monaco are currently connected with Les Amis de l’Ukraine, that number continues to grow through events like these. They are eager to host larger gatherings, further integrate with the Monaco community, and help Ukrainians find a place to meet others, particularly for those who have not yet found that since arriving in Monaco.

In the four months since the association was initiated, Caracchini shared that he has been very pleased with its progress. He believes it is important to bring philanthropy to everything being done in Monaco and emphasises the value of continued collaboration in raising awareness.

The event provided the opportunity to meet many inspiring individuals leading their own initiatives in support of Ukraine.

Humanitarian initiatives supporting Ukraine

Nataliya Dubosq, President of Agir and Soutenir l’Ukraine, alongside her husband Gael Dubosq, shared the many ways their association is involved in humanitarian efforts supporting Ukraine. One example of this is their support of Le Boulanger Sans Frontières, an organisation that travels to Ukraine to provide bread to people in need while also boosting morale. Stabnet, another association they collaborate with, is a stabilisation network supporting mobile hospitals. They aid in funding this and ensuring sufficient doctors, surgeons, and resources are available near the front lines.

In December, they also collaborated with Cœurs d’Avenir to coordinate a fundraising event in Cannes, where international ballet performers raised money for Ukrainian children who have lost a parent due to the war. Cœurs d’Avenir founder, Iryna Komara, also present at the event, shared that the organisation has already supported around 60 children over the past two years, with plans to help many more.

The association also organises football teams and matches for individuals who are amputees because of the war, offering them the opportunity to continue participating in sport. Throughout these conversations, one thing was clear: these individuals are deeply committed to their work, and collaboration only strengthens their impact.

See also: Interview: How one woman is manufacturing bionic prosthetics for Ukraine from Monaco

Bridging cultures and supporting new arrivals

Anna Kazimir, founder, and Svetlana Berezovska, president of UMA (Ukraine Monaco Association) offer an opportunity for Ukrainian culture to be shared in Monaco. Through fundraisers, events, and other humanitarian efforts – they launched the organisation in 2022 with the aim of supporting Ukrainians arriving from war-affected regions. This included assisting with accommodations, offering advice, language courses, and even chess clubs for families.

Their main goal is to be a bridge between countries. They welcome people of all cultures as a very international organisation. These efforts, beyond Monaco, include volunteers involved in delivering medical equipment, supporting hospitals, and contributing to wider humanitarian initiatives. At the event, they are eager to meet the many people present and see how else they can unite to help.

Strengthening dialogue and international cooperation

Ukrainian legal expert Olha Drachevska is the founder of Incolanse Law Firm and a recognised specialist in commercial and administrative law. With a PhD in law, she has advised leading industrial enterprises and is also a frequent media commentator on legal and societal issues. Speaking during the evening, she described it as “an important symbol of a new stage in the development of relations between Ukraine and Monaco”, highlighting the growing importance of cooperation between the two countries. She added that the opening of the Honorary Consulate reflects “a strong commitment to strengthening mutual trust and partnership”, while also creating “a platform for constructive engagement” across legal, cultural and economic spheres.

Emphasising Monaco’s global positioning, she noted that “Ukraine’s presence here carries strategic significance”, expressing confidence that the initiative marks “the beginning of a long-term and fruitful dialogue”.

Alexandre Caracchini brought together a group of Ukrainians based in the region with aspirations of creating unity and opportunity for one another. This theme resonated across conversations throughout the evening. As Les Amis de l’Ukraine continues its initiatives, the evening reflected a growing sense of connection and collaboration within the community.

See also: 

Interview: Monaco’s new Honorary Consul of Ukraine Alexandre Caracchini

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Photo credit: Alexandre Caracchini

Tennis: Alcaraz and Sinner tested but on course for Monte-Carlo Masters final meeting

by: Luke Entwistle
09/04/2026
Sinner on the stretch to keep a ball in on the Monégasque clay

Neither Jannik Sinner nor Carlos Alcaraz had things all their own way on Thursday but both progressed against in-form opponents to remain on-track for a meet-up in the final of this year’s Monte-Carlo Masters.

Whilst Sinner and Alcaraz have created something of a duopoly in world tennis, there was a reminder that neither were infallible as both were tested on the clay of the Monte-Carlo Country Club. “I found myself in a difficult position,” admitted Sinner after his win over Tomas Machac. The Czech found himself in hostile surroundings, with his fans drowned out by another strong Italian following. However, he came into this tournament with confidence, having won his second ATP title just last month.

Machac may not have bettered Sinner but he did at least shatter the prevailing feeling of invincibility. On Wendesday, Daniil Medvedev suffered a humbling ‘Double Bagel’ on Court Rainier III (6-0, 6-0), and when broken on his first two service games by Sinner, he may have briefly feared a familiar fate. Winning one service game spared him (6-1), but didn’t provide hope of a challenge.

Sinner walking off court at the MCCC. Photo credit: Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

Yet Machac did resist. Sinner missed a break point in the second game before his Czech opponent then fought back. Broken a first time, the Italian crowd tried to lift their national icon later in the set. However, he would succumb to a second break of serve (5-2). It was a long way back for Sinner to prevent ceding his first set in a Masters event since Shanghai back in October, a run extending an incredible 37 sets.

He did roar back, breaking Machac twice to take the second set to a tie-break, however, to the disappointment of the Tifosi, Machac would prevail (7-3) and take the match to a deciding set. Sinner regained his composure, broke Machac in the third game and then again in the ninth, avoiding a minor scare (6-1, 6-7, 6-3), but giving reason for optimism for Alcaraz, who needed to dispatch Tomás Etcheverry to secure his place in the quarter-finals.

As Sinner did earlier in the day, Alcaraz broke Etcheverry, who won his first-ever ATP event earlier this year, three times in the first set. His dominance was assured but then shaken in the second. The Spaniard, defending his title, was broken in the third game and then again in the fifth. An immediate reply in the sixth was in vain as No.30 seed Etcheverry saw out the second set (6-4).

Alcaraz teased an opening in the first game of the third set with a double double fault, but having held, the Spaniard then broke on Etcheverry’s first service game. As the sun began to set over centre court, Etcheverry’s hope dimmed, the error from the world’s No.1 not forthcoming. He would not go quietly into the night, denying two match points valiantly before falling on the third (6-1, 4-6, 6-3).

Alcaraz in action at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Photo credit: Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

With Sinner and Alcaraz needing over two hours each to overcome their opponents, the sun had already set when Valentin Vacherot came out on Court Rainier III. After the emotion of beating world No.5 Lorenzo Musetti on centre court the night before (7-6, 7-5), the Monégasque had to dial back in progress to the quarter-finals at the expense of No.74 seed Hubert Hurkacz.

Monaco’s history-maker Vacherot moves into world top 20

Faltering on centre court against lower-ranked opponents became a trend on Thursday and Vacherot did not buck it, losing the first set (7-6). However, the Monégasque came charging back in the second (6-3). In a close game, prevailing in key moments was going to be key and it is in this domain that Vacherot had the upper hand. The Monégasque took four of his eight break points, Hurkacz just two of his 13 and the latter would rue his wastefulness. It was in the seventh game that Vacherot, after a gruelling 10 minutes, would take the lead, which, despite being led 40-15 when serving for the match, he would not concede (6-7, 6-3, 6-4).

With the clock ticking past 21:30, the Monégasque supporters, who savoured the high and lows of the nearly three-hour game, were rewarded with a memorable and historic victory. It is a win that sees Vacherot move into the top 20 in the world rankings, becoming the first Monégasque to do so. When he plays against Alex De Minaur in his quarter-final on Friday, despite playing on familiar clay, he will be in unknown territory. No Monégasque has ever gone this far in the competition. Records have tumbled, and Vacherot will want to continue to break even more before the week is out.

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Photo credit: Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

Football: Monaco edge rivals Marseille to continue Champions League charge

by: Luke Entwistle
06/04/2026
Monaco players huddle after taking the lead at the Stade Louis II, against Marseille

AS Monaco registered their seventh consecutive victory in Ligue 1 on Sunday, but some wins are more important than others, and in that run, none were as important as this one over Olympique de Marseille (2-1).

Sébastien Pocognoli said that the match against Marseille was “important but not decisive” on Friday, but this felt like a game where more than points were on the line. Momentum and the chance to land a psychological blow were also at stake at the Stade Louis II. It was a big occasion, but one without the atmosphere to match. OM’s fans are renowned for the atmosphere that they bring both at the Vélodrome and at stadia across France, but they remained silent for the first 30 minutes. It was a strange atmosphere, and it translated on the pitch.

Both sides were disjointed, a little flat, lacking in ideas and rhythm. There were half-chances for Maghnes Akliouche, who missed the target with an acrobatic effort and then forced a save from Geronimo Rulli when put through by Jordan Teze. But there were no periods of sustained pressure, and in what was an end-to-end half, a “ping-pong” game in the words of Habib Beye, OM had chances of their own. Lukas Hradecky was up to the task on both occasions, denying Hamed Traoré and Igor Paixao from tight angles.

Hradecky the difference-maker for Monaco

No changes at the break meant no real change in the dynamic of a match that didn’t lean one way more than the other until Aleksandr Golovin broke the deadlock on the hour mark, volleying home a tantalising Jordan Teze cross. The intensity so sorely lacking finally arrived: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg forced a strong save, Traoré missed a free header, and Quinten Timber drew a Hollywood diving save from Hradecky. If the Finland international was impassible, Rulli was permeable; two shots on target, three goals for Monaco.

In the Argentine’s defence, there was little he could have done with Folarin Balogun’s effort. The in-form forward profited from a miscued ball from Hojbjerg, did CJ Egan-Riley for pace, and then placed a delightful chip into Rulli’s top corner. In a match that lacked a bit of quality, his effort was fair compensation. “It was one of the best goals [I’ve ever scored],” admitted the Monaco forward. “The importance of the goal makes it special,” he added.

As it transpired, Monaco’s second would prove crucial when Amine Gouiri wiggled his way through Denis Zakaria and Thilo Kehrer, poking past Hradecky and shattering Monaco’s composure. What followed was 10 frantic minutes, with chances for both sides. Hradecky forced an Emerson header over the bar, and from the following corner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang improvised a poorly hit effort at the back post. Hradecky was out of the picture, but Teze was there to tidy up and clear off the line.

Pocognoli banned from the touchline

Monaco had their chances to kill it. Simon Adingra was played in and rounded Rulli, but from a tight angle, could not find the target. It was the Ivorian who was played in again in the final minutes. This time, he opted for the pass, but it was just beyond Mika Biereth, who, on the stretch, could not turn it into the empty net. Monaco held on, however.

Both Pocognoli and Balogun spoke about “staying humble” and “humility” in their post-match media duties. “We are aware that we are coming from far back […] what I like is that players are winning matches but there is no need for excessive enthusiasm. There are smiles but also a recognition of a past not so long ago that we don’t want to revisit,” added the Monaco manager. The Belgian was more powerless than usual. Suspended, he was forced to watch the game from the commentary positions. “I didn’t like it… sometimes you’re shouting up there, but it is only the commentators who can maybe hear me, but the advantage is that you get more of a global view,” said Pocognoli.

“It isn’t about shouting or having an aggressive presence,” said Pocognoli in reference to his half-time team talk. In any case, he found the right words at the midway point, and that applies to Monaco’s season more generally as the second half of it marks an increasingly radical departure from the first.

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Photo source: AS Monaco

New online tools transform Monaco’s hiring process

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
31/03/2026

Monaco has taken a significant step forward in modernising its employment system, launching a fully digital process that allows employers and job seekers to manage recruitment entirely online. 

The announcement was made on March 30th during a press conference, bringing together the Department of Social Affairs and Health (DASS), the Labour Directorate and the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Digital Transition (DITN).

What changed

From March, employers registered in the Principality can complete the entire hiring process through the MonGuichet.mc portal, available around the clock.

This includes filling in hiring authorisation forms online, signing documents electronically, and paying the associated fees by bank card or SEPA mandate — all without setting foot in an office.

Alongside this, a new online CV library has been launched, allowing registered job seekers to upload their CV’s and become visible to Monaco employers searching for candidates.

Officials highlighted that the system had been developed in close collaboration with the private sector. Marine Rolando, head of the e-Government division at the Digital Services Directorate, explained that extensive groundwork had been laid before development began. “There were many workshops held upstream, even before the tools were built, to properly capture needs and address the pain points,” she said.

Currently, over 3,600 private sector employers are registered with the Labour Directorate, some 40,000 job offers are submitted each year, and more than 60,000 hiring authorisation requests, modifications or renewals are processed annually.

With these new features, more than 250 job seekers have already given their consent to appear in the CV library, over 210 candidate applications have been submitted online, and more than 80 hiring authorisation requests have come through the digital system.

The goal is to reduce administrative burden on Labour Directorate staff so they can focus on people rather than paperwork.

“We have too often reduced the hiring process to a purely administrative task,” Emmanuelle Cellario Florio, head of the Employment Service said. “Thanks to digital tools, our advisers are freed from time-consuming tasks. They now have more time to analyse the needs of businesses, to advise job seekers and to support them in retraining or professional training projects.”

More to come

The government also highlighted that this is not the end of the road. Pascal Rouison, head of the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Digital Transition, confirmed that the same approach would be applied to other areas of public administration, including residence permits, company creation and the management of certain public-sector roles.

Christophe Robino, Councillor-Minister for Social Affairs and Health, added “We have the ambition of a labour market that is more dynamic, more competitive, and forward-looking.”

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Main photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Communication’s Department 

Monaco to offer free bus travel during major events in 2026

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
31/03/2026

Monaco is scrapping bus fares during its biggest events this year, as the government looks to ease the traffic pressure that comes with hosting some of the world’s most high-profile gatherings. 

The free bus initiative, which was tested in 2025, covers six events.

It kicks off in April with the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament from the 6th to the 10th, followed shortly after by the Monaco Historical Grand Prix from the 24th to the 26th of April.

Then, May brings free travel during the Monaco E-Prix on the 16th and 17th, before the most extended period of all, the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, keeps fares suspended for a full week from 1st to 8th June.

The summer sees the Vuelta cycling race add another free weekend on 22nd and 23rd August, and the initiative wraps up in late September with the Monaco Yacht Show and Luxe Pack, where buses run free from the 18th to the 30th.

Interestingly, the offer covers every route on the network, not simply those connecting passengers to event locations. Anyone moving around Monaco during these periods, for whatever reason, stands to benefit.

Full details of how each period will operate in practice are expected from the Monaco Bus Company closer to each event.

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life

Filters, fixation and a psychiatric crisis: the dark side of the beauty room

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
31/03/2026

Thousands of doctors, industry professionals and visitors descended on the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco for the Aesthetic and Anti-Ageing Medicine World Congress – better known as AMWC – running from 26th to 28th March. 

Every parking space in the district was taken. Queues of attendees lined the entrance. Inside, 18,000 delegates from 140 countries moved between a thousand brand stands and 12 conference rooms running back-to-back sessions on everything from GLP-1 weight treatments to AI-powered facial analysis.

However, while the congress celebrated that wanting to look better, live longer and feel good in your skin is legitimate, even admirable, it also made clear there are limits – and knowing where they lie matters.

And so, amid the industry optimism, one voice cut through with a different message.

Câline Majdalani, clinical psychologist and author of ‘Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder – The Appearance Obsession’, took to the stage not only to celebrate the industry’s advances, but to issue a warning…about its darkest corners.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is an obsessive compulsive disorder in which sufferers become consumed by perceived physical flaws that others either don’t notice or consider entirely trivial.

It affects around two per cent of the general population, a figure Majdalani described as alarming. “Two per cent in psychiatry is enormous,” she said. “That’s tens of millions of people worldwide.” The numbers, she added, are rising sharply, and almost certainly undercounted, because patients are too ashamed to disclose it.

The link to social media is, in her view, direct and devastating. “Social media is today the reference for young people,” she said speaking to Monaco Life in an exclusive interview. “These altered and filtered images create a kind of allergy to imperfection. When you see something normal – a line, a texture on your face – you feel it’s unbearable and you want to change it.”

She cited research showing that even brief exposure to images only slightly more attractive than one’s own reality is enough to reduce self-satisfaction, a mechanism social media exploits relentlessly and at scale. The more you scroll, she argued, the worse you feel.

During one of the conference’s at AMWC, photo by Monaco Life

A disorder with deadly consequences

The consequences reach far beyond dissatisfaction. BDD has one of the highest suicide rates of any psychiatric disorder. “It is the highest suicidal risk in psychiatry,” Majdalani said.

What makes this directly relevant at an aesthetic congress is where these patients end up. More than 70 per cent of BDD sufferers seek cosmetic procedures, not to enhance their appearance, but, as Majdalani put it, “to repair themselves from inside.” The treatments bring no lasting relief. Additionally, many gravitate towards unqualified injectors and low-cost procedures, fully aware of the risks but too distressed to care.

On the other hand, the thousands who filled the Grimaldi Forum are testament to a discipline that has become, as congress co-founder Catherine Decuyper put it, “a major pillar of modern medicine.” Wanting to correct an imperfection, protect your skin, or add years of vitality to your life is not vanity. It is, increasingly, simply good medicine.

But medicine has limits. And Majdalani’s warning was ultimately about dosage. “It’s about how much you emotionally invest your time and energy in your beauty,” she said. “You cannot invest everything in a single dimension of your identity.” When aspiration tips into obsession, when the consultation room becomes a substitute for the therapist’s couch, the industry has a responsibility to recognise the difference.

To conclude, she drew a sharp distinction between legitimate aesthetic aspiration and something altogether different: “There is a difference between improving your appearance and a chronic dissatisfaction, where suffering speaks the language of appearance rather than expressing itself directly.”

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life