Monaco: the anger of Prince Rainier

Revolting against the denigration campaign, Prince Rainier asked for a 'removal of dust' on the treaties linking the principality and France for a return to a complete sovereignty.

'Paris has overstepped a stage we cannot accept. France publicly says we are traffickers. These accusations must end'. According to an interview published on Tuesday, October 31 in Le Figaro, Prince Rainier let his anger get out after a report of the Ministry of Finance published at the beginning of October and saying the principality was vulnerable to money laundering. Monaco counter-attacked just after. The French government had said in October France wanted to revise the agreements between France and Monaco. Prince Rainier himself asked for a removal of dust on these treaties in order Monaco to become once again a complete sovereignty and an independent State.Old erasToo long we have accepted our sovereignty to be limited. It is time to remove dust on the treaties between France and our principality. The Treaty of 1918 which declares a protective friendship between Paris and Monaco must be revised. The agreement of 1930 which allows France to manage a great deal of Monaco affairs must be changed too. The principality wants to recover its whole sovereignty.The words of Prince Rainier were like a bomb.The various texts which link us to France were signed in an old era, between both wars, when Paris was fearing Monaco to become a bridge which would have driven Germany into France. These times are over. No need Paris intervene as deeply as it does in Monaco affairs', Prince said when interviewed by Gérard Nirascou from Le Figaro.Nominate the government leaderWhat Prince Rainier wants it to change? He wants the Monaco State be able to nominate the head of its government (for the moment it is done by France); that Monaco people be able to occupy some authority or responsibility functions, occupied by French people since the agreement of 1930. It does not imply French people must be replaced by Monegasque people, but the real system must be deeply changed in order Monaco recover its complete sovereignty.'Paris' reactionThe response was not long to come. On Tuesday afternoon, François Rivasseau, spokesman of the Quai d'Orsay declared: 'France announced from June its acceptance to work with Monegasque authorities for the activity of removal of dust. A first bilateral group is in meeting today. Discussions will begin and Prince Rainier intervened when they were beginning.'For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France is ready to remove dust on the treaty about its relationship with Monaco. But France keeps on demanding actions to fight laundering.