35 minute read
DEJAN MAJIĆ, MAMA SHELTER BELGRADE GENERAL MANAGER
MINI EUROPE AT THE HEART OF BELGRADE
Ever since the 2008 opening of the Trigano family’s first Mama Shelter in the east of Paris, its completely new concept of hospitality for modern travellers has been developed and perfected. The group currently has a total of 677 rooms, six restaurants and around 450 employees across three countries and six cities, including Belgrade
The secret of the success of Belgrade's most famous “shelter”, which has welcomed more than a million guests over the last four years, can be found in each of its 125 vibrant, colourful and luxurious rooms designed by the famous Jalil Amor, in its superb cuisine and even more perfect service, in the performances of the best DJs and in its views of the most beautiful sunset in Belgrade. Still, Mama Shelter Belgrade General Manager Dejan Majić believes that the decisive factor ensuring uniqueness is the fact that they give their all to make sure their guests feel at home.
■ Apart from its superior ser-
vice, the Mama Shelter hotel brand is characterised by its original, eccentric design, casual chic look and French charm, which is “spiced up” here with our own Belgrade spirit. What else makes Mama Shelter special?
- Although I would add that we’re also renowned for our excellent cuisine and performances of the best Belgrade DJs, I would like to believe that our uniqueness comes from our sincere love for the work, the idea to ensure every guest of our hotel or restaurant really feels like they are at home or visiting their favourite neighbourhood, but with a view of the most beautiful sunset in Belgrade. Guests from within the country, but also foreign visitors, choose us because of our energy, hospitality and subtle shift from classical hotels and restaurants
■ We know how difficult it is to
find a room available at your place, but also a free table at the restaurant, and that’s been the case from the very beginning. Who are your guests and why do they choose Mama Shelter specifically?
- Guests from within the country, but also foreign visitors, choose us because of our energy, hospitality and subtle shift from classical hotels and restaurants. I can state unreservedly that Mama Shelter Belgrade is a mini-Europe. I think that our fellow Belgraders like that tone; that they have the impression of being somewhere in Europe when they come to our place. That’s also recognised by foreigners, while they also have the opportunity to see and familiarise themselves with the local population. I think it’s the fusion of Europe and Belgrade at Mama Belgrade that has enticed more than a million visitors over the past four years.
■ Considering that Mama
Shelter has become a respected brand of the Accor Group portfolio, is the group considering bringing other Accor hotel brands to Serbia?
- Yes, yes, we are really strongly considering bringing other Accor hotels to Serbia. I think we’ve helped a lot in that sense, as we’ve shown that Belgrade and Serbia are on the map of destinations that must be included in the Accor Group’s future hotel investments. Some projects are already in the final realisation phase, while the plan for the next few years also includes several other significant projects from our group, and they aren’t only in Belgrade, but rather nationwide across Serbia.
NEW TERMINAL EXTENSION BRINGS MORE COMFORT AND IMPROVED EFFICIENCY
The newly built extension to the existing terminal at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport opened to operations in April, thus increasing the airport’s capacity and improving processing efficiency and passenger comfort
Covering a surface area of 13,600m2, the new terminal extension provides an additional eight contact gates with boarding bridges and five gates for remote aircraft stands, bringing the total on the airport’s Terminal C side to 19 gates. The entire new area was designed in accordance with company VINCI Airports’ best practices and standards – in terms of materials, colour palettes, signage, equipment and other architectural and interior design elements. In parallel with this terminal expansion, works were also completed on the first phase of the Apron C extension, totalling an area of almost 27,000m2 , with four completely new parking positions for aircraft, including one for wide body aircraft.
The achieving of this major milestone has brought many improvements to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport for the first time. The concept of open space boarding gates has been introduced thanks to the new centralised security system that’s now positioned in front of passport control, while the additional roof corridor enables the segregating of departing and arriving passengers, and the installed travellators ease and accelerate passenger movements.
“The opening of the new terminal extension and accompanying traffic infrastructure has significantly improved our airport’s efficiency and level of service for passengers and partner airlines. Passengers are experiencing new standards of comfort and service quality first-hand, aligned with the best practices of our parent company, VINCI Airports. With the ongoing project to modernise the airport, our aim is to make Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport a new regional hub,” said BELGRADE AIRPORT CEO Francois Berisot.
This extension represents part of the ongoing major modernisation and expansion of the airport terminal, with plans to create a total area of more than 92,500m2 with centralised security control, additional check-in counters and a variety of new leisure, lifestyle and commercial facilities. Building on these achievements, VINCI Airports will complete its major modernisation works at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport in 2023, including the extension of the passenger terminal, new access roads and parking spaces, new boarding bridges and gates, the construction of an inserted runway and complete renovation of the existing runway.
A RELIABLE PARTNER FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
As the leading French-Serbian business network, the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce is an institution that brings together French companies in Serbia and Serbian and other international companies that maintain trade relations with France or with French companies. The Chamber is also a reliable partner for all French companies that want to obtain information or start a business in Serbia
The main role of CCIFS is to enable its members to access a network of companies, exchange experience and knowledge and find cooperation partners among other members in Serbia and around the world. In order to promote French-Serbian economic exchange and enable communication between member companies, CCIFS annually organises about 50 events of different kinds. At these networking events many acquaintances have been made, which have grown into business partnerships. To the joy of all members, we have continued the long tradition of organising speed business meetings (the last in the series was with members of the Hellenic Association of Serbia, the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the Croatian Business Club), as well as monthly meetings, this time called Talks over a coffee with.… We are pleased that we have continued organising training in the CCIFS Training Centre, and with the format of our webinars, such as workshops with lawyers and the National Employment Service. Online meetings of clubs (Club for Sustainable Development, Transport and Logistics, Infrastructure and Construction, CFO, HR, Digital, Agroclub and CSR) have continued unhindered, in which members have exchanged experience and advised each other on how to respond to various market requirements.
CLIMATE NEUTRAL & SMART CITIES CONFERENCE
The Climate Neutral & Smart Cities conference was organised on 15th June at the French Embassy in Belgrade, as the first in a series of events of a large project The Quest for Net Zero was launched by the CCIFS Club for Sustainable Development, in the context of harmonising the Serbian economy with the EU's Green Deal. The aim of the conference was to present French expertise in the sector of sustainable development and environmental protection through the most modern projects of leading companies. It was a great opportunity for companies to present their innovative projects to the target audience, which consisted of decision makers (ministries, local governments, businesspeople, the scientific community) and local and foreign experts. The conference was opened by then French ambassador to Serbia Pierre Bashar, State Secretary at the Ministry of Mining and Energy Jovanka Atanacković and CCIFS Vice-President Philippe Thiel. The panels presented some of the most innovative models for urban development that improve the quality of life in cities while reducing emissions of harmful gases.
During the Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis that gripped companies in Serbia, and in order to carry out ts main activity of supporting members, the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign called How Can We Help You? During and after the state of emergency, the entire CCIFS team was available to members at all times, to provide them with the best possible assistance and support during the crisis. Several surveys were conducted to assess the impact of the virus on the operational and financial activities of CCIFS members on the Serbian market. The results helped the Chamber better understand members' needs . The campaign, which proved extremely successful and met with positive reactions from CCIFS members, has continued in 2022, when the global and local economies face new business challenges due to the Ukraine crisis.
GALA DINNER
ONLINE CONFERENCE DIALOG 3.0
In cooperation with the Chamber of Italian-Serbian Business people and the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, CCIFS launched a series of online conferences to promote dialogue between companies and state institutions. These associations have held four conferences: with the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs; the Ministry of Environmental Protection; and two with the Tax Administration. Two more associations recently joined this initiative: the Belgian-Serbian Business Association and the Hellenic Business Association of Serbia, with whom a successful dialogue was held with the Ministry of Mining and Energy.
GALA DINNER
One of the most attractive events of the FrenchSerbian Chamber of Commerce is the Gala Evening, which is organised once a year and at which the Chamber gathers over 200 guests, diplomats, business people and public figures. The last Gala evening, held on 12th May on the premises of Copernicus 610, had the theme of a cabaret called BONSOIR PARIS, so guests could enjoy stage acts of dance and magic tricks of talented artists. On the same occasion, the annual Grand Prix Awards of the Chamber were awarded in two categories, with special awards for members. The Grand Prix for Innovation was won by Mikroelektronika for a project called Planet Debug, the world's first Hardware as a service solution for remote access. In the category of Corporate Social Responsibility, the award went to OTP Banka Srbija for the Generator Zero project, dedicated to supporting and rewarding innovative projects that offer sustainable solutions with a real and measurable impact on reducing the carbon footprint, one of today's greatest challenges. The Chamber also awarded two special prizes for special contributions to the work of the Chamber. The first went to Belgrade Airport (Vinci), for the most active company in the previous year, while the second prize went to the individual who contributed the most to the promotion of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce: Nebojša Nedeljković, of company Mecafor.
The Bonjour Serbia event was launched by the CCIFS in 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic before being successfully relaunched this year. A series of events in this programme represent an innovative concept of networking that the CCIFS is implementing in cooperation with institutional and strategic partners. The first edition of this event was held in February in Kragujevac. This was followed by a visit to Kikinda in March and a visit to Niš and Pirot in June. By the end of the year, events of this type will have been held in Novi Sad and Zrenjanin. Participants have the opportunity to attend regional events of various types, dedicated to both the business community and local authorities. The goal is to create synergies and opportunities for members, local businesses and local communities. In addition to presentations of business opportunities and meetings with local companies, in Kragujevac there was an opportunity to visit the State Data Centre, in Kikinda two successful French factories, Mecafor and LeBelier, while in Niš attendees visited the science and technology park and the impressive Tigar Tires factory, which today employs over 4,500 workers.
BONJOUR KRAGUJEVAC
GLOBAL INDUSTRY
From 17th to 20th May 2020, CCIFS had the pleasure of participating in the GLOBAL INDUSTRIE fair in Paris, one of the world's leading trade fairs dedicated to the development of industry, and to present the potential of the Serbian market. The Global Industrie fair is geared towards the industry of the future and international cooperation, and brings together start-ups, large groups, subcontractors, equipment manufacturers and much more. During this year's fair, and for the first time, CCIFS was able to contribute to the development of such an event and share its views and experience with many colleagues from the international community CCIF (Romania, Poland, Czechia, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia and the UK).
BONJOUR KIKINDA BONJOUR NIŠ
LEBOOSTER – CCIFS BUSINESS CENTRE
As part of support for start-ups and enabling French and Serbian companies to more easily integrate into the local market, the CCIFS opened LeBooster Business Centre at its address at the heart of Belgrade, with offices, co-working spaces, virtual offices and conference rooms in a unique French-touch environment. Companies can register a company at the address or rent a desk for a certain period, with complete CCIFS logistics, business and networking support. As an added benefit, by staying at LeBooster Centre, individuals and companies become part of a dynamic business community and have access to a network of contacts, as well as the many CCIFS-organised events.
In cooperation with the Centre for Career Development of the University of Belgrade, the CCIFS launched a series of online workshops in 2021 for students, which rovided them with an opportunity to hear first-hand information from employees of various branches of CCIFS member companies. The workshops organised during the first series dealt with professions in the fields of technology, finance, advertising, telecommunications, sales and project management, and were complemented by a series of three workshops during French Week on human resources, finance and tenders.
SUPPORT SERVICES FOR FRENCH COMPANIES
The French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce works continuously to provide support to French companies wanting to develop business in Serbia. It helps companies from France examine market potential, find clients and partners, open a branch and in general help their business on the Serbian market. CCIFS is ranked in the third-highest category in the network of French chambers of commerce abroad, because it provides a complete service to French companies interested in the Serbian market: from initial information about the market, to opening and assisting in running a company. The Chamber has been an operating partner of Business France, the state-owned French Export Promotion Agency, and a member of Team France Export for 10 years. The Chamber also provides support to companies in the countries of the region, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia. CCIFS's LeBooster business centre provides services from renting offices to all kinds of assistance in the operation of a company.
COCKTAIL PARTY
FRENCH WEEK - BAKERY WORKSHOP BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU EVENING
FRENCH WEEK
One of the most important CCIFS events, French Week aims to promote historical, cultural and business links between France and Serbia. Its timing is associated with a broadly popular custom in France - the arrival of the new wine, Beaujolais nouveau. This year's 9th French Week was special because the events took place live, after a break last year due to the pandemic. The varied and colourful contents provided guests with the opportunity to participate in the traditional events of French Week; tasting good wine at the Beaujolais nouveau young wine reception; learning some of the secrets of French cuisine at the Bakery Workshop; sampling famous wine labels from the French regions at the Wine Workshop; as well as tasting famous French cheeses and other delicious delicacies. New business contacts between member companies and representatives of local institutions, international organisations, cities and municipalities of Serbia were established at the Innovating Environment business conference, which aimed to present the expertise of chamber members in the environmental sector through the latest projects of leading companies. Then, on the web platform www.francuskanedelja.rs, the 6th Online Employment Fair was held throughout the week, with visitors having the opportunity to visit the virtual stands of participating companies, apply for over 40 advertised jobs and chat with human resources personnel. The programme for young people was complemented by a series of webinars for students “After uni I'll be...”, which gave students the opportunity to discuss various occupations with panelists and receive useful advice for their professional orientation.
NEW FRENCH INVESTMENTS EXPECTED
The visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Serbia marked a turning point in the development of economic relations between the two countries. And new French investments are expected to be concentrated in sectors that are important to the development of Serbian infrastructure, green transition and information and communications technology
Economic ties between France and Serbia are advancing constantly, while the trade exchange between the two countries constantly exceeds the benchmark figure of a billion euros. In 2021 alone, This trade exchanged had a total value of 1.4 billion euros in 2021 alone, while Serbian
Prime Minister Ana Brnabić insists that the potential is “at least ten times this amount”.
Among the main events providing an incentive to the further advancement of bilateral cooperation was the 2019 visit of French President Emmanuel Macron and a delegation of French businesspeople that saw the signing of several important agreements, including an agreement between the two countries on the construction of the Belgrade metro system.
It was following Macron's visit that Air France made its return to Serbia, with the introduction of a direct Belgrade-Paris flight, and the French Development Agency opened its Western Balkan Office in Belgrade.
Investments in the field of the environment, green transition, the construction of wastewater treatment facilities, the expansion of the Belgrade sewage network, the energy sector, but also road and railway infrastructure – particularly when it comes to the building of urban metro systems and railway corridors (projects relating to PanEuropean road and rail corridors 10 and 11) – have been identified as having the greatest
potential for furthering cooperation between Serbia and France.
Thanks to the investment of French multinational Michelin, vehicle tyres have become (alongside raspberries) the most important Serbian product exported to France, while Serbia mostly imports medicines and cars from France. It is precisely in the area of processed raspberries, blackberries and cherries that Serbian entrepreneurs have identified a great opportunity to boost exports. Serbia is still recording a deficit in the trade exchange with France, as shown by data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, though imports are increasingly managing to cover exports. A total of approximately 5,000 companies in Serbia contribute to the foreign trade exchange with France.
According to the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, French companies are interested in cooperation and investment in the areas of energy, agriculture, transport – particularly based on the public-private partnership model and concessions – and in the fields of the environment and information and communications technology.
The level of French investment in Serbia is growing year on year. According to data from Serbia’s central bank, the National Bank of Serbia, almost a billion euros from France has entered Serbia. Among the biggest investments are the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport concession, held by French company Vinci, and the public-private partnership to redevelop the Vinča Landfill. A memorandum of understanding was signed recently by the City of Belgrade and France’s RATP, which expresses the desire for this renowned company to become an “early operator” of the Belgrade metro. The RATP Group is one of the world's largest public transport systems operators. Among other things, it manages the operations of the Paris Métro and the underground urban rail systems of many other cities around the world. The signing of this memorandum was followed by the start of negotiations on the deal that will form part of the interstate agreement between Serbia and France on the construction of the Belgrade metro.
Serbian business leaders believe that strengthening economic cooperation with France will provide Serbian companies with an entrance ticket to the markets of North Africa and the former French colonies of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. They also expect this to improve cooperation between entrepreneurs or specific companies.
Speaking after discussions in Paris with her then French counterpart Jean Castex this February, Serbian PM Brnabić said that “the basic message is that President Macron is personally committed to working further on the advancing of both political and economic relations between France and Serbia, and that he is personally monitoring the numerous French investments that we have in Serbia today”.
The PM also announced that the Michelin Group plans to further expand its investment in Serbia and that French company Egis plans to open its regional engineering hub in Belgrade. She further noted that the AFD Office for the Western Balkans, which opened in Belgrade following the 2019 visit of President Macron, plans to double its budget for projects around the region, and particularly in Serbia.
The trade exchange between the two countries has been growing constantly over the last few years, with the coverage of imports by exports also improving. Opportunities are emerging for Serbian entrepreneurs to export cherries and raspberries to France, but also more sophisticated products
PASCAL LAMY, PRESIDENT OF THE PARIS PEACE FORUM, FORMER DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AND EU TRADE COMMISSIONER
PREPARING FOR CLIMATE OVERSHOOT
Humanity’s continuing failure to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions has substantially increased the likelihood of global warming exceeding 1.5°C within the coming decades. That means we must start exploring a wider set up options for mitigating the worst consequences and managing life in a warmer world
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change revealed what many had feared but were reluctant to admit: the continued failure to reduce greenhousegas emissions means that global warming will likely exceed 1.5° Celsius, relative to pre-industrial levels. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that this key goal of the 2015 Paris climate agreement is now on “life support.” Even if emissions “peak before 2025 at the latest,” notes the IPCC, and are “reduced by 43% by 2030” (including a one-third reduction in methane), “it is almost inevitable that we will temporarily exceed this temperature threshold but could return to below it by the end of the century.”
If avoiding a breach of 1.5°C is still technically possible, we should of course not give up. But the window of opportunity is closing faster than we thought, and deepening geopolitical divisions – intensified by the pandemic, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and looming food, energy, and debt crises – do not augur well for the kind of cooperation that we need.
By surpassing 1.5°C, but then taking measures to bring temperatures back below that threshold by the end of the century, we will be in what the IPCC calls an “overshoot” scenario. Although climate models have long accounted for this possibility, not much is known about how to reduce the risks – both environmental and political – that it would create.
Average global temperatures have already risen 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, with significant environmental effects. Every additional tenth of a degree contributes further to the severity and frequency of extreme weather events and increases the risks to health, food, water, livelihoods, and biodiversity. By the time we reach 2°C, many human and natural systems will be under extreme stress; some ecosystems will struggle to survive, and others already will be gone.
Worse, overshoot increases the risk of what the IPCC describes as “cascading and irreversible climate impacts.” And the political consequences would be no less significant. For many, 1.5°C has become a line in the sand – a signifier of humanity’s ability and will to reduce climate risks. While breaching it could lead to a more forceful response to climate change, it also could invite despondency and fatalism. That is why we must start planning for it now.
To that end, I will be chairing a new Global Commission on Governing Risks from Climate Overshoot. Consisting of 16 eminent leaders with diverse backgrounds, we will consider how best to manage the physical and political risks of a world beyond 1.5°C. Most of the commission is from the Global South, including several former heads of government, minsters, and senior officials. We will present an integrated strategy to tackle the possibility of climate overshoot ahead of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference.
As an independent commission, we will conduct this important work without the political and organisational constraints that so often hamper such discussions. We are ready to consider all the options, including ideas that are sometimes considered too controversial to broach in other fora.
For example, while reducing greenhousegas emissions is and should remain our primary goal, we must recognise that this is no longer enough. Additional approaches are now in order. For example, we will explore the potential of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere on a large scale. This is unavoidable if we want to achieve netzero emissions, let alone the net-negative emissions that are needed to start restoring our planet. But while there are many ways – both nature-based and technological – to remove CO2, none is ready at scale, and many
elements of this strategy remain contested.
We also will explore avenues for improving and expanding adaptation efforts on the scale needed to address the growing effects of climate change, though the limits of what is feasible here remain unclear. Finally, we will examine the research on “sunlight reflection methods,” an intervention designed to reflect a small portion of incoming solar radiation back into space. This option appears to be viable, but it would pose global risks, implying significant governance challenges.
Our aim is to bring all these options together into one document for the first time, to weigh the risks of action against the risks posed by a rapidly warming world, and to recommend an integrated strategy based on independent scientific advice and stakeholder consultations. Our overshoot strategy will need to be effective, robust, and ethical, grounded in the best available evidence, and consistent with justice, equity and respect for international law. As long as these principles apply, we will keep an open mind. At this 11th hour, we cannot afford to take any options off the table – at least not until we have investigated them fully.
It is tragic that we must confront the consequences of insufficient action and undertake this endeavor. But we have an overriding responsibility to be prepared if we fail to meet the Paris agreement’s targets. That means considering all potential responses that could minimise the damage and suffering to people and the planet.
CARLO RATTI, DIRECTOR OF THE MIT SENSEABLE CITY LAB, CO-FOUNDER OF INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AND INNOVATION FIRM CARLO RATTI ASSOCIATI
REINVENTING PARIS
The Réinventer Paris initiative, launched by then-Deputy Mayor Jean-Louis Missika in 2014, amounted to a reinvention of Parisian urban planning. Now, after a long string of impediments and delays, it seems to be bearing fruit well – including well beyond Paris
When I first met Jean-Louis Missika, then-Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of architecture and urban planning, in 2014, he welcomed me with an urgent question: How can we fast-track urban innovation? Years later, his answers are becoming apparent.
Missika’s office was in the Hôtel de Ville, the grand and iconic government building that had been the site of many a popular uprising. In fact, the current edifice is a re-creation of a version that was burned to the ground during the Paris Commune revolt of 1871. The Hôtel de Ville epitomises the tension between institutional grandeur and revolutionary spirit that lies at the heart of the French capital.
Missika was well aware of this tension – and he refused to pick a side. Given his background, this should perhaps not be surprising. Born to an Algerian-Jewish family, Missika was a former professor at Sciences Po Paris, the city’s elite grand école of political science. He was also a former adviser to Xavier Niel, an entrepreneur with a penchant for disruptive innovation, reflected in projects like the Station F start-up incubator and École 42, a teacherless (!) computer-programming academy.
When he took his post as deputy mayor, Missika’s propensity for straddling the line between institutions and their opponents was still apparent. “Paris is no longer innovating in architecture and urban planning,” he told me during our meeting, eyes ablaze, amid the Hôtel de Ville’s aged, blackened woodwork. “We’re losing ground to London. Our developers are too conservative; they keep coming up with antiquated models. We have to do something! Il faut agir !”
Missika then described his proposed initiative. The city was about to alienate several hundred million euros worth of real estate, he explained. But instead of selling it off to developers, who would have free rein over how to use it, Missika planned to launch an open call for ideas and project proposals, to be submitted online by professionals and ordinary citizens alike. The most innovative projects would be selected and implemented at more than 20 sites.
The project was called Réinventer Paris – an apt title, not only because it sought to reinvent the city, but also because it amounted to a reinvention of the planning process. And the timing could not have been better: thennewly elected Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who was responsible for Missika’s appointment, had pledged to intensify the city’s fight against climate change. So, the first open call, launched a few months after our meeting, incorporated environmental imperatives – such as the promotion of co-housing, circularity, and urban agriculture – into its proposal guidelines.
I initially served on one of the juries – the one that selected a project called Mille Arbres, by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. It would be a multi-purpose building – with room for housing, offices, and cultural centers – as well as a bridge across the Boulevard Périphérique, the road that forms a ring around Paris. And it would include space for more than a thousand (mille) trees.
The cantilevered, vegetation-covered structure would be a stunning architectural feat, and the plan, publicised widely, elicited global acclaim. But design is one thing; implementation is something else. To this day, the project remains stalled, impeded by petitions and the paralysing French bureaucracy.
Other proposals from the Réinventer Paris initiative were blocked by the national government’s Conseil d’État. Citizens’ associations erected barriers as well, viewing the project as a clever marketing ploy intended to obscure the extensive and irreversible privatisation of public lands. They also criticised Missika himself for having too much personal control over the process.
Yet, at long last, Réinventer Paris is beginning to bear fruit. Several projects selected five years ago are now under construction. Perhaps my favorite is Morland Mixité Capitale, which will transform the hulking Préfecture de Paris into a mixed-use complex that soars skyward. It will boast offices and residences, a hotel and fitness centre, courtyards filled with greenery and spaces for urban agriculture, and a rooftop bar and restaurant enveloped by a panoramic light sculpture by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.
Moreover, Réinventer Paris has inspired a wave of other urban-planning programmes. By the time the second round was launched, it was complemented by Réinventer la Seine (seeking new uses for lots along the course of the river), Réinventer les dessous de Paris (aimed at converting car tunnels and underground spaces), and Inventons la Métropole (covering the wider metropolitan region).
Missika’s concept has now reached the international stage. C40 Cities, a global network of mayors devoted to climate action in which Hidalgo is involved, has launched Reinventing Cities, perhaps the largest international competition in urban planning and innovation ever organised, now in its third round.
Already, Reinventing Cities has selected dozens of projects to support, from Auckland to Cape Town and Dubai to Vancouver. Among them is a rooftop vineyard and public walkway next to the headquarters of the Prada Foundation in Milan, submitted by my design and innovation firm.
I don’t know if Missika would have predicted when we first met at the Hôtel de Ville that Réinventer Paris would have such a profound global impact. I think the momentum it has gained is a sign of the times. The internet has facilitated unprecedented interaction among designers and citizens, enabling innovative ideas to emerge and spread faster than ever before. The interplay between the virtual and physical worlds that underlies the success of Missika’s approach may be the true key to fast-tracking urban innovation. Cities around the world: Il faut agir!
BARBARA PRAVI, SINGER, SONGWRITER AND ACTRESS SERBIAN ROOTS, FRENCH FLAIR
Barbara Pravi, a French artist and singer-songwriter of Serbian origin, presented herself to the Belgrade public at the city’s Botanical Garden on 28th June. This Belgrade concert, organised by the BELEF festival and the French Institute in Serbia, formed part of the celebration of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Ifeel connected to many things. I feel Serbian because I adore my grandfather, but I also feel like an Iranian because I love the poetry of Iranian poets. I’m in love with my family history. And I can also say that I belong to England, because I speak English, I love Italy, Spain... So,
I really feel all that - explained Barbara Pravi on one occasion.
Believe it or not, but Pravi is the most current star of modern French chanson to be compared to the great Edith Piaf, and this singer-songwriter who represented France at the 2021 Eurovision
Song Contest - where she secured an enviable 2nd place behind Italian rock sensation Maneskin - has Serbian roots. Barbara's father is of
Serbian and Algerian Jewish descent, while her mother has Polish Jewish and Iranian origins.
She adopted the stage name Barbara Pravi from the Serbian word “pravi” (meaning genuine or authentic), as a way of paying homage to her
Serbian grandfather. She adores her grandfather and dedicated the song “Deda” to him, which she released three years ago.
Attendees of her concert at Belgrade’s Botanical Garden were able to see for themselves just how much Barbara's presence on stage, spontaneity and sincerity during the performance are reminiscent of the French singing icon from the mid-20th century that was Edith Piaf. The
Belgrade concert was organised jointly by the
BELEF festival and the French Institute in Serbia, under the patronage of the City of Belgrade, the
EU Delegation to Serbia and telecoms company
MTS Telekom Srbija. This event formed part of the celebrations of the French Presidency of the
Council of the European Union.
Barbara Pjević was born in Paris on 10th April 1993 to a family of artists and musicians.
“I feel connected to many things. I feel Serbian because I adore my grandfather, but I also feel like an Iranian because I love the poetry of Iranian poets. I am in love with my family history. And I can also say that I belong to England, because I speak English, I love Italy, Spain... So, I really feel all that,” she once said.
Barbara grew up in a harmonious and multicultural family. This open-mindedness lies at the heart of her education and ethos, representing an important feature that underpins her character, through which she very soon expressed a yearning for independence. However, her strong personality meant that her path to education wasn’t always as smooth as hoped. After graduating from school thanks to the help of a literature teacher, she applied to study law at Paris’s famous Sorbonne University, though with no definitive plan in mind. Two years later, she decided to drop her studies in order to follow a path that would truly inspire and drive her: music. Thanks to odd jobs working nights in bars and restaurants, she began producing her own music.
As she turned 22, she posted her first video directed with the help of friends. It didn’t take long for her to be spotted by Capitol and sign her first record contract with the prestigious label. she was then, in 2016, cast as one of the three main leads in the musical Unété 44. Barbara subsequently released her first EP, ‘Pas Grandir’, in 2017 and landed her first role as an actress in a TV-feature called La Sainte Famille, directed by Marrion Sarraut. It was shortly after this that she was picked by Florent Pagny to open for him 23 nights in a row during his 55 Tour. At the end of 2018, she changed her management team and began working with Élodie Filleul.
It was in February 2020 that she co-produced and wrote the lyrics and music for her second EP, Revienspourl’hiver. She has since collaborated with many artists, including Yannick Noah, Julie Zenatti, Chimène Badi, Jaden Smith, and written songs for Carla (Bim Bam Toi) and Valentina (J’imagine), thanks to whom France won the 2020 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. She released her own reinterpretations of the songs Kids, and Notes pour trop tard, as well as her new song Chair.
Barbara represented France at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Voilà, securing 2nd place – France’s best result since 1991. Her debut album, On n'enferme pas les oiseaux [We don't lock up the birds], was
After signing with Capitol Music France in 2015, she released four EPs with the label: Barbara Pravi (2018), Reviens pour l'hiver (2020), Les prières (2021) and Les prières: racines (2021). As a songwriter, Barbara has written songs for a number of artists, including Yannick Noah, Julie Zenatti, Chimène Badi and Jaden Smith. She also composed the song J'imagine by Valentina, which won the 2020 Junior Eurovision Song Contest
released in August 2021 and served to prove that this woman, as a slightly eccentric singersongwriter who has been capturing the attention of the music scene for some time, has indeed taken flight. Over eleven tracks, Barbara sings about her own evolution and her view of society. Without a war of the sexes, and with a good dose of gentle optimism.
The album opens with Voilà, a vibrant and powerful expression of the singer's talent. A cry from the heart, this piano-voice-cello waltz, which has become the French anthem of Eurovision 2021, is a naked exposé, but also a plea for fans to gush over.
This is followed by Le Jour Se Lève, a bubble of intimate love with a deconstructed syntax: “I don't know what it is, I don't know where it will go, what makes us like each other,” which oscillates between wonder and questioning. And then L'homme Et L'oiseau, a bittersweet observation of a hopeless romance.
Barbara's lyrics are full of poetic flourishes: “Les rideaux volent en dessins/Sur mes murs blancs un peu jaunis/Comme un soupir tu as filé/Au beau milieu de notre nuit” (The curtains fly in drawings/On my white, slightly yellowed walls/Like a sigh you've gone away/In the middle of our night) and vivid, sparkling feelings, glowing tones and even a prayer (Prière Pour Rester Belle), where agnostics can unite in chorus. There is also a tidal wave of rage that overcomes her and deposits her body on dreaded shores. Coloured notes like the birds she draws with gouache, chords that slip in behind the scenes like film music.
If one had to pick an outstanding moment, it would have to be the intensity and interpretation of La Ritournelle. This piece, which links Pravito to her Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother, who is alive but already so far gone, was recorded in a single take. We look forward to hearing it on stage one day... In the meantime, we'll listen to it over and over again, flying high, seeing that the world is rather beautiful from up there.
Completely authentic, Barbara Pravi insists on freedom. She regularly uses her platform to denounce violence against women and is very vocal about defending women’s rights. In 2018, she and 38 other women took part in the recording of Debout les femmes, the official song for the French Women’s Liberation Movement (Mouvement de Libération des Femmes). Barbara has since been invited to speak during celebrations of International Women’s Day on 8th March. On International Women's Day 2022, Pravi released a new song called Priére pour soi (Prayer for yourself), and on 10th April this year she received a gold disc for “Voilà” exclusively in France.
Barbara has collaborated with many artists, such as Yannick Noah, Julie Zenatti, Chimène Badi, Jaden Smith, and also writes songs for Carla (Bim Bam Toi) and Valentina
