Indictment, projects, changes… Mayor of Monaco speaks at start of new school year
Georges Marsan has been Mayor of Monaco since 2003. © Communication Department
In an interview broadcast on Monaco Info, Georges Marsan talked about being back, and the major projects ahead for Monaco Town Council.
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In April, Georges Marsan resumed his duties as mayor after being indicted on suspicion of corruption. He had this to say about the ongoing case: “We have always given out little information, as we are still bound by the confidentiality of the investigation. The mayor and a number of municipal employees are still subject to some restrictions […] we are awaiting the outcome of the examining magistrate’s office, which will decide whether or not the investigation should continue”, he said, before proclaiming his innocence and that of his team.
Projects for his new term of office
Another subject raised was the future renovation of La Condamine market, one of the main projects of Georges Marsan’s sixth consecutive term of office. “It’s an interior redesign, meaning that the Place d’Armes, with its market gardeners and listed building, will not be affected.” The aim is “for the stalls’ capacity to align with the expanded seated areas,” the mayor explained, giving a precise date: “We’re looking to start work in January 2025 for one year.”
With regard to the new media library and new auditorium at Îlot Pasteur, Georges Marsan announced a delay in delivery. Due to open at the end of the year, they will do so in spring 2025.
Currently closed for renovations, Monaco’s Jardin Exotique will soon be reopening to the public. “At the start of summer 2025, a brand new exotic garden will offer an exceptional range of tourist and cultural attractions,” said the mayor.
A new government
The new political year saw the arrival of Didier Guillaume, the new Minister of State, and Lionel Beffre heading up the Ministry of Interior in the Prince’s Government. On this subject, the Mayor of Monaco commented: “I visited the Ministry of State, where I met the new Minister of State. We have a number of major projects in common, the main one of course being the cemetery and the work on the Ilôt Charles III project.”
Georges Marsan took the opportunity to give an update on this thorny issue: “It must be understood that the cemetery no longer meets current standards, so it needs to be modernised, but in order to carry out the work, 207 graves have to be moved,” he said, before adding that “the families will need to agree to the graves being moved.”
Monaco Town Council now has a new Secretary General, Isabelle Costa. “She’s a very attentive person, so I’m obviously delighted that she’s come to work with us,” said the mayor. And there will be no shortage of work to do, as “she has taken on all the current dossiers, with priority given to the Town Council’s financial system, which we need to update, but also, a few months ago, we set up a committee on rules of procedure […] to establish and lay down the rules and principles of good practice, ethics and compliance for the mayor and elected representatives.”