controversy surrounding Prince Albert of Monaco’s helicopter trip to the top of Gran Paradiso
The many photos taken on July 12, at the top of the Gran Paradiso, of a smiling Albert of Monaco, roped up with a group of guides, gave no indication of the storm to come. But since the conditions of the ascension of the prince have been revealed, the controversy has raged. This one would have made a large part of the journey by helicopter, at the expense of the taxpayer.
As if the political crisis that is shaking Italy were not enough, now the regional council of the autonomous region of the Aosta Valley is also on fire. What’s more, because of the highly anticipated visit of a celebrity from outside the small French-speaking region.
On July 12, it was to participate in the celebrations marking the creation, 100 years ago, of the Gran Paradiso National Park, the very first in Italy, that Prince Albert II of Monaco visited the valley of Aosta. Very happy with the visit of such a media personality, the “Grand Paradis Foundation”which manages the promotion of Gran Paradiso for the Aosta Valley municipalities of the park, intended to take advantage of the visit of the prince to highlight the effects of global warming on its territory.
After signing the “Charter of Gran Paradiso” with the President of the Aosta Valley region, notably committing the Principality and the Italian region to sustainable development and good environmental practices, Albert II, specifies the Organizing Foundation of the “Gran Paradiso Film Festival”, “wanted to take a personal account of the state of degradation of the Aosta Valley glaciers, in retreat due to global warming, and whose fate is as worrying as that of the oceans”.
And the Prince to go the next day, backpack, crampons on his feet and ice ax in hand, as evidenced by the pictures taken at 4,061 meters above sea level, on the top of the mythical Italian summit.
Some photos to immortalize the event. And a symbolic deposit, at the top, of the famous “protocol of friendship and safeguarding of the Grand Paradiso park” signed the day before, 4,000 meters below. Here is Albert II leaving the Aosta Valley. The main visit could have remained in the Foundation’s photo album as one of the highlights of this year’s celebration of the park’s centenary.
Instead, a few days later, it is the association mountain desert which, the first, alters the quality of the shots taken by the main rope. Relaying the doubts expressed in a post by a member of the guards of the national park of Gran Paradiso, the defenders of nature do much more than scratch the climb to the Gran Paradiso of Albert of Monaco.
“Seeing the photos of the climb in which Prince Albert II took part, our first doubts arise. Suspicions confirmed by a post, now deleted by its author”reveals Mountain Wilderness.
And the association to quote excerpts in which we speak of “tourist flight organized for the Prince”with dropped by helicopter below the summit where Albert II “pretends to arrive from the bottom of the valley on foot, without generating any pollution”. Worse, the region would have made it possible, for the occasion, to provide a reserve alpine rescue helicopter. At the expense of the Aosta Valley taxpayer.
“My shame is even greater for the institution represented by the Gran Paradiso National Park, which endorsed the useless and potentially dangerous overflight for the fauna of the park, despite the negative and reasoned opinions issued by the surveillance body of the Park”found the park ranger member cited by Mountain Wilderness.
A testimony that the environmental association comments in its own way in the form of a question: “Was there really a need to helicopter such a rope, where HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco clearly appears at the top of the mountain, if not to take some photos accompanied by big clickbait headlines?”
Revelations which could not fail to arouse a wind of controversy in the regional political class. A fortiori in the climate of pre-election campaign which reigns over Italy since the fall of the Draghi government.
“The fact of being in the electoral campaign further complicates the general framework of the discussions between the local political forces”commented Erik Lavevaz, the president of the Aosta Valley region to our daily colleagues La Stampa. Starting with the appointment of its vice-president for the environment, for example. A member of the regional government who would be very useful to him to respond to acid press releases from at least six parties in his assembly, especially on the left, and even on the far right.
“The world is on firedenounce the political parties which take up the arguments of Mountain Wilderness, and this whole affair takes us in open contradiction with the values of the 2030 agenda that the region wanted to promote (…) This appeal launched from the summit of Gran Paradiso by the authorities to ordinary citizens (i.e. those who are still going in the mountains on foot) has lost all meaning”concluding the signatories of a written question to ask that the responsibilities of those who authorized this overflight be defined.
The summer of the centenary of the first Italian national park in history will therefore not be easy. Nor on the political level with this affair of “main rope” which is timely to further poison the electoral campaign. This will have to be held in August because of the control set for September 25. A first in the history of the Italian Republic.
Gran Paradiso National Park announced in a Facebook post the flight of the flag celebrating its centenary creation. “This vile gesture, because the flag was cut (not torn by the wind), should not make us forget the reason for which it was hoisted: to celebrate 100 years of history and future for this whole protected area”, said the management of the Italian park. And to add that another flag will be put back in the same place to continue to fly on the top of the Gran Paradiso until the end of the summer.