Feeling the Bite of Red Tape and Sky-High Energy Costs, Showmen Cry Foul in Schleswig-Holstein
Exhibitors voice concerns over exorbitant energy expenses and bureaucratic red tape - Exhibitors voice concerns over escalating energy expenses and administrative barriers
You'll find Marco Lange, president of the Showmen's Association, grumbling about the chokehold bureaucracy and crippling energy bills are putting on his industry. "We're the lifeblood of the community," Lange declares to the German Press Agency (dpa), "but these damned red tapes and astronomical energy costs are crippling us!"
It's a terrible squeeze for showmen businesses in Schleswig-Holstein. Averaging around 220 state-wide, they've managed to keep their numbers steady, but operating costs are nipping at their profits. Stand fees for local festivals range from some hundy to a couple grand, depending on festival size and the elaborate spectacle of the show business.
"A humble sausage at the Kiel Week, for instance, costs a pretty penny more than at your average shindig, thanks to the energy gobbling lights, generators, and whatnot," Lange explains.
Struggling to find fresh blood to join the industry isn't easy, either. The unattractive work hours and increased minimum wage do little to tempt job-hunters. And then there are the bureaucratic obstacle courses they need to navigate when hiring seasonal hands, like leaping through weekly hoops for heavy transport approvals for Their crazy contraptions like giant wheels and carousel rides.
Stuck with broken-down equipment? Forget about finding a last-minute stand-in; the wait for approvals can extend for weeks.
The SPD catches wind of this struggle and offers a helping hand. Kianusch Stender, SPD economic bigwig, calls on the black-green state government to turn the tide for showmen. "They've been the lynchpin of cultural life in the north, contributing to sociability and entertainment, generating jobs, and boosting regional tourism," he says. "Let's give them a break they deserve, especially now, with summer just around the corner."
The SPD proposes loosening up the red tape, doling out subsidies, and investing in sustainable technologies to ease the burden of sky-high energy costs. What that means for the Wild Ride of the Kiel Week is anyone’s guess, but they'd better hold on tight, because neither energy bills nor bureaucracy are showing signs of letting up.
- Showmen
- Energy costs
- Bureaucracy
- Kiel Week
- Schleswig-Holstein
- German Press Agency
- SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany)
- Unattractive work hours
- Minimum wage
- Heavy transports
- Sustainable technologies
- Subsidies
The showmen in Schleswig-Holstein, especially those preparing for events like the Kiel Week, are suffering under the pressure of high energy costs and onerous bureaucracy. The SPD, in a bid to support these cultural pillars, proposes reducing bureaucratic red tape, providing subsidies, and investing in sustainable technologies to alleviate the burden of costly energy.
