State in Monaco

Monaco's constitutional order is based on the Constitution of 17 December 1962, revised by Law No. 1.249 of 2002. The Principauté de Monaco remains a sovereign État souverain under general international law and particular conventions with France; cooperation with France does not transfer Monaco's sovereignty. Constitutional revision requires a common agreement between the Prince Souverain and the Conseil National. The Prince Souverain exercises the highest executive authority. The Ministre d'État represents the Prince, directs executive services and disposes of the Force Publique. The Conseil de Gouvernement assists the executive. Government members are accountable to the Prince, not to the Conseil National, and Monaco has no parliamentary no-confidence procedure. Ordonnances Souveraines follow deliberation by the Conseil de Gouvernement and signature by the Prince. Arrêtés Ministériels also require Council deliberation, with a ten-day period in which the Prince may oppose them. The Conseil National has 24 members elected by direct universal suffrage for five-year terms. Monégasque nationals aged at least 18 who hold civic rights may vote. The Conseil National has exclusive power to deliberate and vote on laws and the State budget, while the Prince has the full right of legislative initiative. Proposals from the Conseil National enter a process that can lead to legislation but do not have the force of law by themselves. The Conseil National normally holds two public sessions each year: a spring session from 1 April to 30 June and an autumn session from 1 October to 31 December. Extraordinary sessions are possible. The Commune de Monaco is Monaco's territorial equivalent at local level. No regional tier exists. The Conseil Communal has 15 members elected for four years by Monégasque nationals aged at least 18. Candidates must be Monégasque nationals aged at least 21 and have held that nationality for at least five years. The Conseil Communal elects the Maire and adjoints. Its ordinary public sessions take place every three months and may last up to 15 days. Communal resources include municipal property and revenue and a grant from the State budget; the Commune may not borrow. The Ministry of State coordinates public administration. Five ministerial departments cover Interior; Finance and Economy; Health and Social Affairs; Public Works, Environment and Urban Development; and Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Formal administrative access is available through gouv.mc, the relevant departments and e-services. Espace Honoré II housed nine departments and approximately 500 officials in 2025. Fees and processing times depend on the procedure, its legal requirements and applicable session calendars; Monaco has no single flat fee or uniform processing period for all administrative matters. The Direction des Services Judiciaires is independent. Monaco has no Minister of Justice; the Secrétaire de Justice is responsible to the Prince. The Tribunal Suprême reviews constitutional and administrative matters. The Conseil d'État gives advisory opinions on draft laws and Ordonnances Souveraines. The ordinary judicial structure includes the Cour de Révision, Cour d'Appel and Tribunal de Première Instance. The State budget is enacted as a law. The 2026 estimates provide for €2,216,670,000 in revenue, €1,413,480,400 in ordinary expenditure and €794,413,300 in capital expenditure, for total expenditure of €2,207,893,700. Special Treasury revenue is estimated at €67,327,900 and special Treasury expenditure at €69,998,500. A constitutional surplus is transferred to the Fonds de Réserve Constitutionnel; a deficit requires withdrawal from that fund by law. In 2024, actual revenue was €2.3244 billion, expenditure was €2.1317 billion and the surplus was €192.7 million; the fund's assets were €7.3 billion. The Commission Supérieure des Comptes audits the State, the Commune and public bodies and publishes annual public reports. The Contrôle Général des Dépenses, under the Ministre d'État, checks commitments, payment orders, revenue, budget closure, capital expenditure and Treasury operations. It also covers independent public bodies, grant recipients and the Commune. Payment cannot proceed without the required prior scrutiny. A 2025 anti-corruption steering committee brought together Government, justice, police and civil-service oversight representatives. The Constitution protects freedom of worship, public religious exercise and expression of opinions. Law No. 1.299 of 2005 governs publication freedom while allowing limits concerning dignity, privacy, pluralism and public order. The Journal de Monaco publishes official legal information. Sittings of the Conseil National and Conseil Communal are public, and the Government Communication Department and gouv.mc provide official information and administrative access. The Direction de la Sûreté Publique provides policing. The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince and the Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers form the Force Publique. The Carabiniers protect the Prince, the princely family and the Palace and support ceremonial and public-order duties. The Sapeurs-Pompiers handle fires, rescue, chemical and radiological risks, emergency medical response, pollution incidents and civil-security planning. National plans include ORMOSE, Plan Red and other special plans. Emergency calls use 18 or 112. Monaco also cooperates with France on cross-border police, fire and emergency operations while retaining sovereign authority.