The politics of
Monaco take place within the framework of a
constitutional monarchy, with the
Prince of Monaco
The sovereign prince (french: prince de Monaco) is the monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All reigning princes have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi, although some have belonged to other families (Goyon de Matignon o ...
as
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
, with some powers devolved to several advisory and legislative bodies.
Constitution
Historically, the princes of the ruling
House of Grimaldi
The House of Grimaldi ( , also , , ) is the current reigning house of the Principality of Monaco. The house was founded in 1160 by Grimaldo Canella in Genoa and became the ruling house of Monaco when Francesco Grimaldi captured Monaco in 129 ...
were
autocrats
Autocracy is a system of government in which absolute power over a state is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject neither to external legal restraints nor to regularized mechanisms of popular control (except per ...
of an
absolute monarchy
Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constitut ...
until the first Constitution of Monaco was adopted in 1911. A second constitution was granted by Prince
Rainier III
Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...
on December 17, 1962, outlining legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government, which consist of several administrative offices and a number of councils. The Prince as head of state retains most of the country's governing power; however, the principality's judicial and legislative bodies may operate independently of his control.
Government of Monaco
Executive branch
,
Sovereign Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
,
Albert II
,
, 6 April 2005
, -
,
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ot ...
,
Pierre Dartout
Pierre Dartout (born 9 April 1954) is a French civil servant who has served as Minister of State of Monaco since 2020 under Prince Albert II. He previously served as a prefect in France from 1997 to 2020. His first posting was in French Guiana. Up ...
,
, 1 September 2020
The
Council of Government
The Council of Government of Monaco is the Prince's governing body.
It consists of six members:
Minister of State, who chairs the council, and the five members (four counsellors and one delegate); he also has voting rights, and has control of ...
is under the authority of the prince. The title and position of prince is hereditary, the minister of state was appointed by the monarch from a list of three French or Monegasque national candidates presented by the French government, but now (since 2002) is chosen by the monarch. Until the 2002 amendment to the Monegasque constitution, only French nationals were eligible for the post. The prince is advised by the
Crown Council of Monaco
The Crown Council (french: Conseil de la Couronne) of Monaco is a seven-member administrative body which meets at least twice annually to advise the Prince of Monaco on various domestic and international affairs. It is one of three such councils ...
.
Legislative branch
,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
,
Stephane Valeri
,
Primo ! Priorité Monaco
, 22 February 2018
The unicameral
National Council (''Conseil National'') has 24 seats. The members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms. The Council can be disbanded by the
Prince of Monaco
The sovereign prince (french: prince de Monaco) is the monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All reigning princes have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi, although some have belonged to other families (Goyon de Matignon o ...
provided that he hosts elections within 3 months. Uniquely, Monegasque legislators can be members of multiple political parties. Currently the administrative coalition,
Primo ! Priorité Monaco, holds 21 seats. The opposition coalitions,
Horizon Monaco
Horizon Monaco was the ruling coalition of Monaco after the 2013 Monegasque general election, winning 20 of the 24 available seats in the National Council. The coalition, led by Laurent Nouvion, was composed mostly of the conservative Rally & ...
(right-wing) holds 2 seats and
Union Monégasque, (center) holds 1 seat.
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
which represented the principality's largest employer
SBM, and previously held 1 seat in caucus with
New Majority chose not to contest the 2018 elections.
Political parties and elections
Judicial branch
The supreme courts are the Judicial revision court (''Cour de révision judiciaire''), which hears civil and criminal cases (as well as some administrative cases), and the Supreme tribunal (''tribunal suprême''), which performs
judicial review
Judicial review is a process under which executive, legislative and administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. A court with authority for judicial review may invalidate laws, acts and governmental actions that are incompa ...
. Both courts are staffed by French judges (appointed among judges of French courts, members of the
Conseil d'État and university professors).
Political spectrum
Monegasque tend to be more conservative due to their alignment with the
Roman Catholic church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. There are no official left-wing parties although
Union Monégasque is considered the "most liberal".
Administrative divisions
There are no first-order
administrative divisions
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
in the principality, which is instead traditionally divided into four
quarters (French: ''quartiers'', singular ''quartier''):
Fontvieille,
La Condamine
La Condamine ( lij, A Cundamina ) is the central ward in the Principality of Monaco. Its landmarks include Port Hercules, the Rainier III Nautical Stadium, and the Princess Antoinette Park. Its farmer's market at the ''Place d'Armes'' dates fr ...
,
Monaco-Ville
Monaco City (french: Monaco-Ville) is the southcentral ward in the Principality of Monaco. Located on a headland that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, it is nicknamed The Rock (french: Le Rocher). The name "Monaco City" is misleading: it is ...
and
Monte-Carlo
Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
, with the suburb
Moneghetti (part of La Condamine) colloquially seen as an unofficial, fifth quarter. They have a joint
Communal Council of Monaco
The Communal Council is the body responsible for the civil administration of the four ''quartiers'' of the Principality of Monaco. Because Monaco is both a nation and a city, the council chooses the mayor of Monaco and his/her officers. It cons ...
.
The principality is, for administrative and official purposes, currently divided into ten
wards
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
:
*
Monaco-Ville
Monaco City (french: Monaco-Ville) is the southcentral ward in the Principality of Monaco. Located on a headland that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, it is nicknamed The Rock (french: Le Rocher). The name "Monaco City" is misleading: it is ...
*
Monte Carlo/Spélugues
*
Fontvieille
*
Moneghetti/Bd de Belgique
*
Les Révoires
Les Révoires () is a northwestern area in the Principality of Monaco. It is a residential and tourist area, part of the traditional quarter of La Condamine. In 2008, it had a population of 2,545. Les Révoires was a ward of Monaco until 2013, whe ...
*
La Colle
*
La Condamine
La Condamine ( lij, A Cundamina ) is the central ward in the Principality of Monaco. Its landmarks include Port Hercules, the Rainier III Nautical Stadium, and the Princess Antoinette Park. Its farmer's market at the ''Place d'Armes'' dates fr ...
*
Saint Michel
*
Larvotto/Bas Moulins
*
La Rousse/Saint Roman
International organization participation
ACCT, ECE,
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 195 ...
,
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
, ICRM,
IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
,
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
,
ITU
The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Union ...
,
OPCW
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW, with its 193 member s ...
,
OSCE
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...
,
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
,
UNCTAD
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat that promotes the interests of developing countries in world trade. It was established in 1964 by the ...
,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
,
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union (UPU, french: link=no, Union postale universelle), established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874, is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to t ...
,
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
,
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; french: link=no, Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishin ...
,
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics.
The WMO originated from the Internat ...
,
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it has 46 member states, with a ...
.
External links
A summary of the principality's constitution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of Monaco