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Airport extension protesters take to the streets amid fears of environmental impact

by: Elsa Carpenter
20/03/2023
nice airport extension terminal 2

Protestors have taken their fight against the Terminal 2 extension of Nice Airport to the streets in a years-long battle that has been dismissed by the courts. 

The expansion of the terminal, which will add 25,000m2 over two floors of the embarkment area and six new gates, has been in the works since 2017. The Prefecture for the Alpes-Maritimes gave the green light for the project in January 2020 and France’s Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, also confirmed his approval for the extension earlier this month.  

Some locals, however, are not happy and, after several failed attempts to get the plans annulled by the courts, around 400 protestors took to the Promenade on the weekend.  

Yellow tape resembling the type used by police at a crime scene was strung up between palm trees and protesters spoke widely to reporters about the climatic and environmental threats the extension could have on the area.  

“Nice Airport borders a Natura 2000 zone,” one told France 3. “There are 240 protected species here [and] important flora to conserve.” 

Work has already begun at the airport, but a recently deposed complaint by protesters, notably from the France Nature Environnement federation, to the Administrative Court in Marseille hopes to bring that to a halt. They await a date to be heard.  

Extension and adaptation of pre-existing infrastructure  

“The extension will be made to an already tarmac-ed area,” said Christophe Béchu in an on air interview with France Bleu Azur when questioned about the environmental impact the project will have on the neighbouring Natura 2000 zone. It echoed previous statements made by Franck Goldnadel, the chairman of the Board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur.  

In 2022, more than 12 million passengers passed through Nice Airport. In 2019, the last big year for travel pre-Covid, that figure stood at 14.5 million. The airport anticipates a 30% rise in passenger numbers in the coming years and says expansion of Terminal 2 is necessary in order to keep up.  

A spokesperson for Nice Airport says the project will allow the travel hub to welcome up to 18 million passengers and 1,000 extra flights annually. The new gates are expected to be operational by summer 2025 and all construction complete by 2026. Works will be temporarily suspended during springtime to allow bird species in the area to nest in peace.  

 

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Photo source: Pixabay

Football: AS Monaco Women part ways with Laurent Banide

by: Luke Entwistle
20/03/2023

AS Monaco Women have parted ways with Laurent Banide with the club set to once again miss out on promotion from the Régionale 1.

Former AS Monaco manager Banide was brought in to replace Stéphane Guigo at the beginning of the season. The appointment came in the wake of the disappointing loss against Toulouse in the play-off final, which consigned Les Monégasques to another season in the Régionale 1.

Tony Ribeiro takes charge in the interim

However, the club look set to fall short of those expectations, despite a considerable recruitment drive over the summer. Following a loss against AS Cannes Football, Monacowill again almost certainly miss out on promotion. With only the top side set for promotion, Monaco’s destiny is out of their hands, and only a shock Cannes loss would offer them the possibility of promotion to the D3.

As well as Banide, Christophe Almeras has also left the club. The club’s youth coach, Tony Ribeiro, replaces the duo and will take charge of ASM Women until the end of the season.

Roles for Louis Ducruet and Jean Petit

As well as the managerial change, there is movement behind the scenes. Louis Ducruet, nephew of Prince Albert II and former employee at AS Monaco, arrives at the club in order to contribute to the growth and development of the AS Monaco Women’s side. Ducruet, who recently spoke to Monaco Life about his sporting ambitions, left his recruitment role at Premier League side Nottingham Forest earlier this season.

Jean Petit, a former Monaco player and manager as well as a French international, joins the club in the role of sporting advisor to the president. These changes aren’t expected to reap rewards in the short-term, with the club already looking towards earning promotion next season.

 

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Photo from ASM FF

Liam Gallagher of Oasis snaps up Noel Edmonds’ villa in Grasse

by: Elsa Carpenter
19/03/2023
liam gallagher grasse

After a visit to Grasse earlier this year, Liam Gallagher of the band Oasis has splashed out nearly €3.5 million on a villa near the city that was previously owned by Noel Edmonds, according to the British press.  

In early January, local fans of the British band spotted Liam Gallagher and his family eating lunch in the Place aux Aires of Grasse. 50-year-old Gallagher chatted with passersby and reportedly told one that he was spending a couple of days checking out the city.  

Now that the news has broken that the band’s frontman has bought a villa not far from Grasse, one can guess that Gallagher may have been here to sign the compromis de vente on his newest property purchase.  

The villa, which is believed to have sold for around €3.4 million, is a six-bedroom stone manoir that sits against a backdrop of green hills and forest to the east of the city. It supposedly comes with its own vines and olive groves as well as a swimming pool on a considerable stretch of land. 

The previous owner was British TV presenter and gameshow host Noel Edmonds, who listed the property for €4 million with high-end agency James Edition in 2018. It is not confirmed if the same agency is behind the recent sale.  

Gallagher revealed an affinity for France back in 2017 during an interview with the Sunday Mirror. 

“I’m definitely moving to Paris,” he said. “By the time I am 50 I am going to live in Paris. I will rock a beret easy. I’ll rock the onions as well and a stripy thing and a wonky bike with a baguette on my arm. I’ll rock that… We love it and Debbie [Gwyther, his fiancée and manager] speaks French so she can do all the ordering.” 

Grasse might not be the French capital, but it is the world capital of perfume, and fans of the singer will be hoping to see more of the famous Mancunian in and about the city in the future.  

 

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Photo source: James Edition

Sign up for Forest Day Hike in the hills above Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/03/2023

To celebrate International Day of the Forests, a special hike is being organised on 18th March departing Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and reaching Mont-Gros, taking in the breathtaking view of Monaco and the Mediterranean.

The Office National des Forêts (ONF), in partnership with the Principality of Monaco and the municipality of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, is organising the free event a few days ahead of the official International Day of the Forests on 21st March.

The hike on Saturday 18th March will be based on the theme: ‘Good health and well-being’, with the aim of raising awareness among the public on the importance of the forest.

Departing from Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, participants will be able to discover the area’s rich natural and cultural heritage, from the seaside town to its village perched at an altitude of 225 metres, before reaching Mont-Gros via a hiking trail to admire a breathtaking view of the Principality and the Mediterranean.

During this one-and-a-half hour walk, ONF agents will introduce participants to the forest and biodiversity protection actions implemented by its teams, the municipality of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and the Principality of Monaco following the devastating fires in 1986. They can be experienced through interpretive trails, connected walks, panoramic viewpoints and even the installation of an insect hotel.

Activities surrounding food and and health in the forest will also be offered to participants.

To register, please click here.

Photos: Prince Albert II unveils statue of Princess Grace in Ireland

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/03/2023

Prince Albert II was on site in County Mayo as a new statute of his late mother, Princess Grace, was unveiled to a large and excited crowd.  

Grace Kelly’s grandfather emigrated to the United States in 1860, but the family’s Irish connections were always held dear. This connection was so apparent that after her death in 1982, Prince Rainier III championed the creation of the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco, whose purpose is to share Ireland’s literary culture and legacy with the wider population.  

Now the Princess has been honoured in her ancestral nation with a statue crafted by artist Mark Rode, whose previous work depicting her caught the attention of Prince Albert, who was “significantly involved” in the creation of the final piece.  

The statue, which is located near the Seven-Arch Viaduct in Newport, County Mayo, shows the Princess elegantly perched on a bench in a rather glamourous gown.  

Prince Albert travelled to Ireland to officially unveil the statue in a visit organised by the Newport Business Association as part of The Two Graces project. It turns out that two legendary women with the same name hail from this part of the world, the other being notorious pirate queen, Grace O’Malley. A statue of O’Malley will be completed in 2024, also by Rode. 

Other notable works from the sculptor include the Barack and Michelle Obama statue in Moneygall, County Offaly, the Quiet Man Statue in Cong, County Mayo, and the Titanic Memorial in Addergoole in Lahardane, also in County Mayo. 

As for the Prince’s visit, the townspeople were decidedly thrilled. Darragh McGee, one of the organisers, told RTE News, “We’re delighted to have Prince Albert unveil the statue.”  

Click on the gallery below to see more images, courtesy of the Palais Princier…

 

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Photos credit: Ed Reid, source Palais Princier

 

Macron rams through pension reform without a vote: what now?

by: Stephanie Horsman
17/03/2023
macron pension reform

After months of protests and debates, the deal is done. President Emmanuel Macron has used a special constitutional power to bypass a final vote in parliament and deliver on his controversial pension reform bill. 

The bill, which has been derided by unions and workers alike, will now become law.  

“We cannot bet on the future of our pensions,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said as she was taunted by lawmakers of the lower house. “This reform is necessary.” 

Labour leaders are now calling for more demonstrations this weekend as well as another round on Thursday 23rd March. Few details are available yet, but are sure to come in the coming days.  

Protests in Nice

In addition, spontaneous demonstrations sprang up in Nice, with 300 or so protesters gathering at the Place de la Liberation on the evening of Thursday 16th March to show their displeasure.  

Gérard Ré, Secretary General of the CGT in the Alpes-Maritimes, said, “It is in the continuity of what has been happening for several weeks, that is to say a profound rejection of this reform.”

Representative for the Alpes-Maritimes and President of the Republican party Eric Ciotti refused to be baited, saying his party would not join in a censure movement.

“We don’t want to add chaos to chaos,” he said.  

The Republicans weren’t entirely in agreement with him though, with certain members saying they will go their own way if a censure vote was held.  

Though deeply unpopular, the pension reform measures are not out of line with the modern world. France’s current retirement age of 62 is far below other industrialised countries and costs the government a fortune at nearly 14% of economic output, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. 

It also shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone, as Macron ran on a platform emphasising the need for pension reform in his re-election campaign.  

As people live longer, healthier lives, the idea of raising the retirement age is in line with the times and may help keep France’s future budget out of trouble.  

READ MORE:

France to raise retirement age to 64

 

  

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 Photo source: Assemblée Nationale / Facebook