By a resounding majority, the National Council of Monaco has re-elected Thomas Brezzo as President. The vote, which took place in early April, marks the start of his second term. Brezzo has held the position since April 2024, when he replaced Brigitte Boccone-Pagès.
Thomas Brezzo, a 45-year-old Monegasque lawyer, will continue his role as President of the National Council, Monaco’s elected public representatives, for a second term following a decisive and near-unanimous vote that saw 22 votes in his favour. There was just one blank ballot and one absence, that of Balthazar Seydoux.
The electoral process proceeded considerably more smoothly this time around for Brezzo. He came to the position of President of the National Council in April 2024 by replacing the council’s first-ever female leader, Brigitte Boccone-Pagès, after a period of tension within her Union party majority.
During the opening speeches at the parliamentary session on 2nd April, National Council member Maryse Battaglia reviewed the past year under Brezzo, describing it as a period of transition and renewed momentum for the institution.
“Between us, I can attest to a renewed energy, in the expression of all sensitivities with great freedom of speech that allows us to achieve that point of balance for which we, Monegasques, hold the secret,” she said in comments published by Monaco Matin. Battaglia went on to call for continued collaboration and respect among all elected officials.
Brezzo, meanwhile, reaffirmed his commitment to keeping an open discourse with the government while still maintaining the need for resolve. He urged the government to honour the commitments made by former Minister of State Didier Guillaume before his untimely death in January, saying, “A commitment is a debt to the future, a debt that cannot be erased under the pretext of the passage of time. Res non verba. Actions, not words.”
He reiterated the most urgent priorities for the coming months, including the Fontvieille Shopping Centre project, the Monaco Info and TV Monaco merger, and the development of a local waste treatment and recovery plant. He also spoke of advancing the long-delayed urban planning work in the Annonciade II district, the modernisation of the National Housing Plan, advancing the metro project linking Nice, Monaco, Menton and Ventimiglia, and reducing waiting times for medical consultations in Monaco.
Looking ahead, Brezzo announced that solid initiatives would soon be implemented to better advance the Principality’s priorities, and he also confirmed that public meetings with Monegasque nationals would begin in May, providing an opportunity for open discussions on key legislative issues.
The session concluded with Brezzo inviting Jean-Louis Grinda to run again for Vice-President. Grinda accepted, and the council members reconfirmed him with a near-unanimous vote.
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Photo credit: Stéphane Danna / Monaco Communications Department