MONACO APPOINTS FORMER POLICE COMMISSIONER OF PARIS AS MINISTER OF STATE

Appointed by Sovereign Ordinance on May 13, 2005, His Excellency Mr. Jean-Paul Proust was sworn in by H.S.H. Prince Albert II and officially assumed his duties as Monaco’s new Minister of State on June 1st. He succeeds Mr. Patrick Leclercq who held the position since 2000 and whose departure was postponed by a month following the death of Prince Rainier III.

A 65-year-old father of two, Mr. Proust, a graduate of France’s top public administration school, Ecole Nationale d’Administration, he occupied various high-level positions within the French Government, spending most of his brilliant career in the French Police Department. He served as Police Commissioner for the City of Paris, overseeing 19,000 officers and special services from 2001 until November 2004. To enable him to serve as Monaco’s Minister of State, the French Government assigned Mr. Proust to the position of “State Counselor on special duty”.

About the Minister of State:
The Minister of State is appointed by and represents the Prince. He is the leading authority after the Prince. In addition to serving as President of the Government Council, he is in charge of the administrative duties for the country, and as such of the executive arm of the Principality (heads the police department, oversees foreign relations, and maintains law and order).

The Minister of State is assisted by 5 Government Counselors, each heading a different administration. The Counselors are accountable to the Prince.

The Government Council, under the authority of the Minister of State, submits legal initiatives to the Prince who holds the legislative power. It authorizes the implementation of passed bills and laws and manages public services.

For more information on Monaco’s institutions and Government, visit www.gouv.mc.