If your monthly pay cheque is above €4,170 then you’re in the top 10% of earners in France, but is that enough to make you ‘rich’? Well, that all depends on your family situation. 

The Observatoire des Inégalités, an independent French information gathering organisation, has looked at the range of monthly incomes in France with the goal of working out how much a person needs to earn in order to be classed as wealthy. 

Currently the median French salary sits at €1,800, according to data from INSEE, the nation’s official statistical agency. A quarter of full-time employees make less than €1,670, while a half earn under €2,092. At the higher end, 23% of workers make €3,000 a month while the top 10% of earners in the country bank €4,170. The biggest pay cheques, those over €10,000 per month, are reserved for the top 1% of salaried workers.  

For over a decade now, the Observatoire des Inégalités has been trying to determine thresholds for both poverty and wealth in France. The calculations are made with the help of the French Observatory of Economic Conditions (OFCE), another independent organisation, and the latest data put out by INSEE to compile up-to-date reports, such as this new insight into the wealth divide. 

“Since we consider that the poverty line is set at half the median standard of living, we have chosen to establish the wealth threshold at twice the median standard of living,” said Louis Maurin, the director of the Observatoire des Inégalités, to Le Figaro of this latest report into wealth classification.  

THE FIGURES 

In order to be considered rich in France, a single person with no dependents must make €3,860 net per month. Roughly 7% to 8% of the population falls into this category.  

When adding in different factors, the monthly nut changes considerably. For example, to be wealthy as a single parent with a child under 14, an employee needs to be making €5,018 a month to be classed as wealthy. For a couple with one child under the age of 14, their combined salary must be €6,948, which rises to €9,650 for two children over 14 and €10,808 for three children, with one under 14. A couple without children, meanwhile, need to be earning €5,790 to be counted among France’s most well-off.  

To read the report for yourself, click here. 

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Photo source: Priscilla de Preez, Unsplash

AS Monaco Basket star Mike James made history Thursday night, becoming the all-time leading point scorer in the Euroleague during a game against Etoile Rouge de Belgrade in Monaco.

“Magic” Mike James’ moment came with just under four minutes left in the first half of the game, when he took the crown from Greek legend Vassilis Spanoulis to a sold-out Gaston-Médecin crowd on 7^th March.

4,464 points and counting

“It is a great honour for me to coach such a player,” said AS Monaco’s Head Coach Sasa Obradovic. “Over the past three years, we have developed our relationship and helped each other grow. We come from a different world, but it’s been a wonderful adventure since day one.”

James, who was fêted not only by fans as he surpassed the previous record, but by his parents who were also at the game, can now boast 4,464 points and counting on his Euroleague statistics.

“I didn’t want it to get too emotional, because we first had to focus on winning,” said James after the game. “I will savour this record at the end of my career. I enjoyed the present moment. My friends and family have been here for a while, we’re going to celebrate together tonight, but quietly. Because the most important thing is yet to come, we want to go all the way and win the Euroleague title. Spanoulis? He called me yesterday to talk to me and congratulate me.”

Mike James has been on a high lately. The American, who joined the Monegasque side in 2021, was voted MVP for February. It is the fifth such trophy that James has achieved in his career. With 20.3 points, 6 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 3.7 assists on average in the month of February, the Portland native easily won the title, leading the Roca Team to three consecutive wins and continuing the teams meteoric rise in the Euroleague standings.

The Roca Team’s latest win

Aside from James, the team played brilliantly against opponents Etoile Rouge de Belgrade, beating them handily 98 to 80. The Roca Team led in all but one quarter, where they tied.

In the end, Mike James was high scorer of the game, with 20 points. Élie Okobo and Donatas Montejunas had strong showings as well, bringing 14 points each to the table.

Magic Mike and the rest of the team are back in action again on 10^th March at 4:30pm, when they take on Basketball Club Maritime Gravelines Dunkerque at the Gravelines Sportica.

 

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Photo of Mike James by Monaco Life 

The latest figures released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) have revealed that worldwide energy-related CO2 emissions hit a record high of 37.4 billion tonnes in 2023, due in part to drought-stricken regions’ inability to rely on hydropower.  

Scientists have been warning for years that drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions will need to be made if the global community is to reach its climate change goals.  

With a vast amount of these gases coming from fossil fuel usage, countries have increasingly looked to alternative and renewable sources in order to power homes and businesses, but Mother Nature doesn’t always see things the way governments do.  

Last year, extreme droughts caused a 40% decrease in hydropower output worldwide. This in turn caused a 170 million tonne rise in emissions as affected regions were forced to turn back to traditional forms of power production. 

“Without this effect, emissions from the global electricity sector would have fallen in 2023,” says the report from the IEA. 

SOME GOOD NEWS 

Despite the drought factor, however, some of the world’s bigger polluters were able to achieve reductions in emissions in 2023.  

The European Union’s 9% fall in emissions was the biggest success story of the year, with the slow but steady shift to renewable energy generation coupled with a plunge in coal and gas power production leading the charge.  

The United States was also a winner, with a 4.1% decrease, thanks in large part to its electricity sector.  

China, normally a huge emissions culprit, also turned it around last year, offsetting its 5.2% emissions rise by becoming a massive contributor to the alternative power industry. Around 60% of new solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles came from China last year, meaning that the future there could see some steep drops in overall yearly emissions.  

The IEA has said that, without alternative technologies, the global increase in energy-related CO2 emissions over the last five years would have been three times larger than the 900 million tonnes registered. The agency has also revealed that, for the first-time, at least half of the power produced by developed nations came from low emission sources in 2023.  

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Photo source: Marek Piwnicki, Unsplash  

In the wake of the large-scale farmers’ protests that rocked France earlier this year, the French government has announced a plan to strengthen the national livestock sector as well as the wider agricultural industry. 

On 25th February, France’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Marc Fesneau, unveiled his plans to better support those growing the nation’s crops as well as its livestock breeding sector. 

Fesneau hopes his plans will alleviate the fears of farmers who say that their livelihoods are in jeopardy due to cheaper imports and a growing number of regulations placed on the nation’s agricultural industry. 

The plans aim to bolster France’s ability to “produce what it consumes” in terms of crops and meat products, with a particular goal of meeting livestock sovereignty.  

“Breeding is essential in France and holds part of the solutions to the great challenges of our century,” reads a statement released by the Ministry. “The Government has decided to put breeding at the heart of its concerns by strengthening the plan to regain our sovereignty over breeding announced last October on the occasion of the 32nd Livestock Summit.” 

To that end, the government has enacted a €150 million benefits fund to support those raising cattle and has earmarked €400 million in guaranteed loans for the livestock sector, which will become available in July 2024.  

There will be €30 million available each year to support investment in agricultural equipment that contributes to significantly reducing greenhouse emissions and another packet of €15 million to strengthen the fight against tuberculosis and other diseases affecting livestock. 

The government is also publishing a decree to protect what can be designated as foods of animal origin, a requirement by restaurants to integrate 100% sustainable meat and fish products into menus, and to ask for an EU-level ban on synthetic meat, arguing that these cultivated products go against tradition and negatively impact livestock farming.  

Another element of the plans is to build interest in farming as a career choice and encourage generational farming within families.  

Finally, the mantra “produce what we consume” will be the battle cry henceforth, following the public confirmation of the Ministry’s mission to ensure food security and self-sufficiency in France, whilst continuing to improve standards and reach climate goals.  

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Photo source: Fabien Bazanegue, Unsplash

In a blend of cultural history and literary celebration, the Princess Grace Irish Library, under the patronage of the Fondation Princesse Grace, has welcomed Flor MacCarthy as its Writer-in-Residence for the spring of 2024.

Flor MacCarthy, a journalist and author specialising in Irish history and culture, is the new Writer-in-Residence, in perfect timing as St Patrick’s Day approaches. She will explore the palace archives and the library’s extensive collection to gather material for her next book.

Supported by The Ireland Funds Monaco, the residency program underscores the deep historical and personal connection between Monaco and Ireland.

During her residency, Flor MacCarthy will share insights on the correspondence between Monaco’s Princely family and Irish presidents, highlighting the nations’ friendship. Her lecture, based on her book ‘The Presidents’ Letters’, will feature stories about notable figures including Presidents de Valera and McAleese, John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Ireland in 2011.

The Princess Grace Irish Library will host a talk by Flor MacCarthy on Tuesday 19^th March at 2:30pm. Before the event, there’s a special luncheon in collaboration with the American Club of the Riviera. To book a ticket, priced at €10, click here.

The Writer-in-Residence program at the Princess Grace Irish Library, celebrating the Monaco-Ireland connection, invites fans of literature, history, and Irish culture to spring events. Collaborations with the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival and The Ireland Funds Monaco highlight the library’s dedication to cultural and educational growth, continuing Princess Grace’s legacy in the arts.

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Photo credits: Princess Grace Irish Library

The Mairie de Monaco is throwing a big St Patrick’s Day party at the Marché de la Condamine later this month that will honour the traditional food, music and dancing of the Emerald Isle.  

On the back of the news that Prince Albert II of Monaco is set to appear in veteran filmmaker Frank Mannion’s star-studded new documentary ‘Quintessentially Irish’, in which the Monegasque sovereign will explore his family connections to Ireland through his late mother, Princess Grace, the Mairie de Monaco has announced its plans for a St Patrick’s Day celebration on 17th March.  

See more: Prince Albert II of Monaco to make star appearance in ‘Quintessentially Irish’ documentary

Traditional dishes from Ireland, Irish folk music and troupes of Irish dancers will punctuate the event, which will be held at the Marché de la Condamine from 12pm.  

The event is open to the public and is entirely free to attend. For more information, contact the Mairie de Monaco on +377 93 15 06 04.  

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Photo credit: Mairie de Monaco

The 2024 edition of They Are The Champions, a charity event that aims to create special memories for sick and disadvantaged children, is still many months away, but its organisers are already making some very exciting plans. Here’s what we know so far. 

A date has been announced for the fourth edition of the charity occasion, which all began in 2021 when Philippe Demanet and Thierry Revel decided to raise money and awareness for the local Les Enfants de Frankie association through their participation in the E-Rallye Monte-Carlo.   

Later that year, they decided to hold a very special day of activities with a motorsports theme, which has grown into a popular annual event. 

See more: 20 kids given the thrill of a lifetime at ‘They Are The Champions’ charity event

This year’s event is being planned for 30th October and Monaco Life is joining a roster of high-profile names and social media stars in supporting the event. From YouTube car enthusiast Seb Delanney and rally pilot Raul ‘Le Professeur’ Marchisio to Lila Speech, one of the few female influencers in the automotive world, and Franck Galiègue from Movie Cars Central, a collector who has amassed over 40 cars from the movies, participation is set to be the best and biggest yet. 

Galiègue is to add a bit of cinema to They Are The Champions 2024 by offering to bring along a stunning replica of the Batmobile from Tim Burton’s Batman. Meanwhile, Cédric Boutsen of Boutsen Classic Cars, rally driver François Delecou and Neoyot’s Antony Brisac have also expressed an interest in taking part in the event.  

This year, Be Safe Monaco will be an important feature of the occasion alongside Les Enfants de Frankie. 

See more: Les Enfants de Frankie celebrates 25 years of hope and dreams

Anyone else interested in supporting They Are The Champions can contact the team via black.sirius.uae@gmail.com or on Instagram at @black.sirius.uae.  

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Following the closures of Menton’s private beaches at the end of last August, works soon got underway on the city’s new-look seafront promenade. According to Mayor Yves Juhel, the renovations are “progressing according to schedule” and could be finished as soon as next month. 

While it was widely agreed that the beachfront required modernising, the owners of and teams working at the city’s private beaches were in uproar last summer, when it was announced that the establishments would be forced to close much earlier than usual.  

See more: Why are Menton’s beaches closing down at the end of August?

The pre-existing decked and paved sections of the promenade have now been replaced with materials reminiscent of those on the Esplanade des Sablettes and soon it will be the turn of the green spaces to get some attention, with tree planting due to start in the coming weeks.  

According to the local mayor, Yves Juhel, who recently visited the site to inspect the progress of the works, the €6.7 million project should be complete by April, enabling beach establishments to reclaim their spaces and commence preparations for the planned public reopening in June.  

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Photo source: Ville de Menton