Bilateral Relations Elevated as Portuguese President Makes First-Ever State Visit to Monaco
On Friday, 21 November, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene welcomed His Excellency Mr Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Portuguese Republic, for a historic official visit to the Principality of Monaco, the first visit by a Portuguese Head of State to Monaco.
The official welcome ceremony took place at 10:15 a.m. in the Cour d’Honneur of the Prince’s Palace. It included military honours, the national anthems of both countries, and an inspection of the troops. This was followed by the presentation of the delegations and a bilateral meeting in the Salon de Famille between the two Heads of State, each accompanied by three members of their respective delegations.
A Carnival of Lights: How Monaco’s 2025 Funfair Captured Hearts Again
The harbour of Port Hercule in Monaco transformed itself into a sparkling playground of rides, music and laughter. The 2025 edition of the Foire Attractions de Monaco opened its gates with a promise: to enchant all ages, in a setting where sea meets ride-whirl, and tradition flirts with the thrill of the new.
Every year around the All Saints (Toussaint ) school holidays, the fair takes over the Quai Albert Iᵉʳ and the Darse Sud of the port. In previous years, the event has hosted around 80 stands and rides, from gentle carousels for the youngest to high-adrenaline attractions for the bold. In 2025 the figures show that some 779,739 unique entries were registered. Imagine how popular this fair is. Even with some rain neither spirits or numbers are dampened by very much.
Women Earn More in Monaco’s Public Sector: But the Private Gap Persists
When one thinks of Monaco, images of the Grand Prix and sparkling Mediterranean vistas come to mind. Yet another story quietly unfolding in the Principality is the one of pay-equality between women and men: subtle, incremental but significant nonetheless.
The national statistics institute IMSEE has just published its second major study (data from 2024) on wage gaps between women and men in Monaco. Here are some of the key findings:
In the public sector, women’s average indexed pay now surpasses that of men by 2.4%, up from 0.7% in 2019. In the private sector, average monthly male salaries are 18.6% higher than for women in 2024, still a large gap, though improved from 28.5% in 2019.
