“The year 2020 is coming to an end.” Thus began Thursday evening the traditional wishes of the sovereign, accompanied for the second consecutive year by Princess Charlene.
The relief was almost palpable in the voice of Prince Albert II, to see the end of this year which “will remain in our memories, marked by doubt, fear, pain, because of the Covid-19 pandemic which has spread across our planet”.
It is with particular joy, despite the difficult period, that the sovereign agreed to the exercise of these wishes, broadcast on Monaco Info and social networks at 7 p.m. “This moment of exchange of vows is for me a privileged moment by tradition, but even more so today because of the circumstances which require a message of hope and optimism”.
Refusing a frenzied optimism that would lull us into illusions, the prince first establishes the observation made by all specialists in the world: “The damage from this epidemic does not stop with the health situation. All sectors are weakened for several years.”
As this strange year passes away, the Head of State recalls that the world has changed, suddenly. “This health crisis has changed our habits and our certainties. It has set our intelligence in motion to reflect on all aspects of our existence.”
Vitality, resilience, creativity …
And this is where hope begins to emerge: “We must not stifle this momentum, but on the contrary amplify it”.
Aware of the slump into which public opinion seems to be inexorably sinking, as virus mutations, waves of contamination, and restrictions on freedom unfold, he calls on “the vitality and resilience of our minds (…) at the very moment when we most need light, warmth and escape so as not to be overwhelmed by discouragement”.
Last year, as in 2016, Prince Albert II called for the example of international decision-makers. This year again, he recalls the necessary solidarity in the face of the difficulties to come: “It is essential that all the countries, their political leaders, commit themselves to apprehending our future with an innovative approach as the challenges appear of an unequaled scale”.
At the heart of his reign, the preservation of the environment seems more than ever to the fore. The prince said to himself “convinced both of the topicality of our missions and of the need to reinvent ourselves again”, not hesitating to call to be “copy” in terms of “energy sobriety”.
A commitment that he also carries on the economic level where he encourages everyone to relaunch “curiosity, discovery, creativity” to go out “stronger” and for “face the major environmental and social challenges”.
Climatic upheavals have humanitarian consequences, and cause natural disasters, some of which have affected our region over the past two years, and which claim victims, for which the sovereign prince had a thought.
“I salute those who commit themselves, with generosity and solidarity, to relieving these people whose number is growing dramatically year after year. Collectively, we must show responsibility in our decisions in order to offer a future founded on hope. for the peoples hard hit by these successive and overlapping crises, while preserving the aspirations of the younger generations. “
Constant in his wishes for the youth, year after year, he recalls what should be common sense, with words sometimes resigned: “Our responsibility is to leave them a livable and living planet, but also to give them the means to prepare, invent and transform the future”.
“A more benevolent society”
While waiting for the arrival of this new year, the Head of State makes a poetic reminder of the health recommendations: “I know that you will not be able to take full advantage of your families because the health crisis requires us to be careful, to protect those who are dear to us. This distance and these constraints will be, this year, the marks of our affection towards our loved ones, our families, whom we want to protect from disease “.
Finally, after expressing his gratitude to his government and its officials, Prince Albert II wants to be encouraging and full of hope: “I am convinced that the year 2021 will allow us to overcome this ordeal thanks to the solidity of our economic and social model, to the talents who work in the public and private sectors. (…) Our best asset is our collective intelligence. and the desire to build a better future together. We must together preserve a sustainable planet. Together we must invent a more benevolent society. I assure you of my unwavering desire to lead, out of this health crisis, the Principality towards an increasingly stable, more prosperous and fairer horizon “.
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