Hier ont eu lieu les élections nationales de Monaco. 70,35% des électeurs monégasques se sont déplacés pour départager trois listes candidates au Conseil national, équivalent de notre Parlement : Horizon Monaco, Union monégasque et Primo! (Priorité Monaco!).

Selon plusieurs médias monégasques, c'est cette dernière qui a remporté une large victoire, raflant 21 sièges sur 24. Pari réussi pour Stéphane Valeri, ancien président du Conseil et ancien ministre, qui dirigeait cette toute nouvelle liste.

Horizon Monaco a fait élire sa tête de liste actuelle Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo et l'ancienne tête de liste Jacques Rit. L'Union monégasque n'a réussi à placer que sa tête de liste Jean-Louis Grinda - un nouveau camouflet après celui des élections de 2013.

Un Parlement monocaméral

Contrairement à de nombreux pays européens, parmi lesquels la France, Monaco possède un Parlement monocaméral, c'est-à-dire constitué d'une seule chambre. Les 24 membres du Conseil national sont élus pour quatre ans.

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Lors des élections, la liste ayant obtenu la majorité des voix obtient 16 sièges. Les 8 sièges restants sont répartis proportionnellement entre les listes ayant obtenu plus de 5% des suffrages, et les votants ont la possibilité d'effectuer un panachage.

Aux dernières élections nationales, en 2013, 74,55% des 6284 électeurs s'étaient déplacés. La liste Horizon Monaco avait obtenu vingt sièges, l'Union monégasque - majoritaire jusqu'ici - trois et Renaissance un.

Fait rarissime dans la Principauté, Horizon Monaco avait connu de telles dissensions que le président originel, Laurent Nouvion, avait dû céder sa place à son vice-président Christophe Steiner en avril 2016. Ce dernier a décidé de quitter la vie politique et ne se représentait pas cette année.</s>The results are in following the vote by 5097 Monegasques for the 24 seats in the National Council. That is a participation by 70.35% (74.4% in 2013) of those allowed to vote, greater than typical of other western European countries.

The results are conclusive for the Party “(Priorite Monaco) Primo!” whose leader Stephane Valeri led a well-oiled campaign and is now destined to be President of the National Council when his election as leader will be carried out shortly. He will formally replace Christophe Steiner.

Stephane Valeri is a veteran of the political scene having been President of the National Council twice before in 2003 and 2008. For a time, from 2010 he was also Minister of Health and Social Affairs. The majority of the 24 seats go to Stephane Valeri’s Primo! Some seats are distributed to minority parties who have more than 5% of the vote to provide for a good debate between the majority and minority parties, while leaving no doubt about the majority and the leadership. Everything points the way to a productive and stable relationship between the National Council and the Government.

Under Monaco’s constitution the Executive powers are invested in the Prince who is the highest authority and who chooses a Minister of State (Serge Telle) to lead the Government. The National Council has less power than its equivalent in France. Its role is to discuss and vote on laws presented by the Government, to vote on the national budget and ratify international treaties, but not to initiate or amend legislation. Parliament in Monaco has a single Chamber, being the National Council, which contrasts with the U.K. and the U.S. for example which have two Chambers.

The two other main parties were magnanimous in their speeches recognizing their defeat. Beatrice Fresko-Rolfo for Horizon Monaco was proud to be the first woman in her role and hoped this paved the way for women in future. Horizon will have two seats in the Chamber.

Jean-Louis Grinda for Union Monegasque recognized the victory of Primo! but felt that his party had sown the seeds of some good new ideas for the future. Union Monegasque will have one seat in the Chamber.

Stephane Valeri and Primo! are the majority party and will have 21 of the 24 seats in the Chamber.</s>With 12 nations represented on 80 boats, there was no downtime for the bay of Monaco.

“It’s great to be able to come here in the middle of winter and enjoy back-to-back races in ideal conditions against a high-level field.”

In the J/70, the flagship class of the Yacht Club de Monaco, which boasts the biggest concentration of J/70s in the Mediterranean with 20 boats, the competition redoubled its efforts to overtake the season’s leader.

The big absentee this weekend was Valeria Kovalenko and her team on Art Tube who left the field free for the rest of the fleet.

Three boats managed to widen the gap over the eight races. The near-flawless Swiss team on CDE.CH helmed by Guillaume Girod was rewarded with 1st place

The next regatta in Monaco is the final Act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, 9-11 March.
Primo ! Priorité Monaco, a new political party, wins 21 of the 24 seats in the National Council.