Driving age debate turns heated in National Council

A proposal lodged by opposition councillor Régis Bergonzi on Monday has set off one of the more fractious sessions in the National Council this term. The bill would introduce accompanied driving in the Principality and bring the minimum driving age down to 17, bringing Monaco closer in line with practices already established in France and several other European countries.

The government and the ruling majority pushed back firmly, arguing that the legislative route chosen by Bergonzi is not the appropriate mechanism for such a change. The procedural objection, however, did little to defuse tensions in the chamber, with the debate spilling into broader political point-scoring and some notably sharp exchanges between the benches.

For residents and families in Monaco, the practical stakes are real. Young people from the Principality who study or spend time across the border in France can already benefit from accompanied driving there, creating an inconsistency that Bergonzi's proposal aims to address. Whether the government brings forward its own legislative vehicle to resolve that gap remains to be seen.