Recently, Monaco’s National Council voted for a record budget for 2020, including major work at the Halle de la Condamine, the Exotic Garden and the Town Hall. With an 8.8% increase, the 2020 budget of 74,722,000 euros was approved unanimously.
First off, work on the Town Hall’s main courtyard will continue. Masonry and electrical work will take place in the first part of 2020, with the installation of an innovative charging station system, allowing for an intelligent management of the charge and power consumption of electric vehicles. This work will take up an estimated 500,000 euros of the budget.
The Condamine Market Hall will be receiving an indoor makeover: the floors, the paintings, the metal curtains, the stalls will be standardized, everything will be redone. This work will take up an estimated 750,000 euros of the budget.
The Exotic Garden, another one of Monaco’s hotspots, will get a few renovations. The numerous footbridges date from when the park was first built in 1933 and are starting to age. Four will be replaced and three renovated for an estimated amount of 450,000 euros.
The famous traffic brigade will be made permanent from February, with ten agents which remain under the name of the Living Environment Preservation Unit (UPCV). Its missions are to ensure tranquility for all residents as well as fight against excessive noise from certain cars and motorcycles.
The possible implementation of facial recognition technology is something that is controversial and will be addressed more fully in 2020. The National Council and the government must continue to weigh up video surveillance, security and the risk of terrorism. However, a balance must be struck between security and the fundamental respect for individual freedoms and privacy.
Lastly, 2020 will see more resources put towards helping combat violence against women in Monaco. Many things are already in place to help victims of violence, in particular the directorate of social action and aid (Daso) and the Association of Victims of Criminal Offenses (Avip). During 2019, the National Council helped these organizations obtain an apartment that can be mobilized immediately for emergency cases, especially outside opening hours, so that no woman in Monaco has to return to a home where she would no longer be safe.
