About the Presidency
The Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is held for a period of six months, on a rotating basis, by each of the 46 Member States in English alphabetical order. The start of each new Presidency takes place in May and November of each year.
Institutional context
Beyond its procedural functions – chairing meetings, ensuring compliance with rules and guidelines, steering discussions, and announcing decisions – the Presidency is traditionally a key political moment, during which each Member State highlights a limited number of thematic priorities intended to underpin its entire Presidency, both in intergovernmental work and in the events organised.
Dates
Monaco will hold the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers from 15 May 2026 to 10 November 2026.
Monaco will officially assume the Chairmanship on Friday 15 May 2026 during the Ministerial Session to be held in Chișinău (Republic of Moldova).
The handover ceremony in Strasbourg will take place on Wednesday 20 May 2026.
The Presidency will be transfered to Montenegro on Tuesday 10 November 2026.
Visual identity
Diamonds
The pattern of red and white diamonds is one of the key elements of the Presidency’s visual identity. Derived from the coat of arms of the Princely Family, it refers to the historic emblem of the Grimaldi Dynasty and serves as a powerful symbol of Monegasque identity.
This coat of arms alludes to the founding episode of 1297, when François Grimaldi – known as ‘Malizia’ – infiltrated the fortress of Monaco disguised as a Franciscan monk, and has since symbolised the Grimaldi family’s enduring presence on the “Rocher”.
For over seven centuries, the continuity of the Dynasty has been accompanied by a deep bond between the Prince and the people of the Principality. Monegasques and all those living or working in Monaco, regardless of their nationality, origin or status, have always shown unwavering loyalty to the Prince. He truly embodies both the permanence of the State and the guarantee of its independence.
The colours red and white
The Monegasque flag – consisting of two horizontal red and white stripes – was officially established by Sovereign Ordinance in 1881, but its origins actually date back much further, as it features the colours of the Grimaldi Family coat of arms.
The Monegasque national Anthem, moreover, states that:
Depuis toujours, sur notre pays,
Le même drapeau est déployé au vent,
Depuis toujours les couleurs rouge et blanc
Sont le symbole de notre liberté
Grands et petits les ont toujours respectées
Nous avons perpétué les mêmes traditions
Nous célébrons la même religion
Nous avons l'honneur
D'avoir toujours eu les mêmes Princes
Et rien ne changera jamais
Tant que le soleil brillera
Dieu toujours nous aidera
Et rien ne changera jamais.
Forever, over our country
The same flag fly's happily in the wind
Forever, the colors red and white
Are the symbols of our freedom
Old and young have always shown their respect.We carry on the same traditions
We celebrate the same religion
We are honored to have always had the same Princes
And no one will make us change
As long as the sun shines in the sky
God will help us
No one will ever be able to make us change.
This explicitly reaffirms the perfect unity forged around a shared identity and a commitment to the Institutions, which extend far beyond the national community alone and today underpin the political strength and stability enjoyed by Monaco.
The stars and the blue spiral
The stars and the blue spiral symbolising the ‘E’ of Europe are not merely a formal reproduction of the Council of Europe’s emblem, but form an integral part of the visual dynamic specific to the logo of the Monegasque Presidency.
On the one hand, the twelve stars surrounding the Monegasque diamonds graphically represent the dialogue, cooperation and openness that characterise the Principality’s foreign policy.
On the other hand, the blue ‘E’ embodies the space of convergence at the heart of the Presidency’s project.
Together, these elements form a dynamic visual identity that expresses Monaco’s commitment to exchange, relationship-building and active participation in the collective action of the Council of Europe.