Dispute over music at Christmas markets: Criticism from the left
In the wake of the increased license fees for music at Christmas markets, the left-wing parliamentary group in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament has criticized the state government. The local authorities were clearly expressing their distress and the issue was in the media almost every day, said Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Gebhardt during question time in parliament on Thursday.
He could only be lenient to a limited extent as the state government could not say anything about supporting measures for the municipalities. "My expectation was that the state government would be aware of this conflict," said Gebhardt.
The Economics Minister responsible for tourism, Sven Schulze (CDU), had previously stated that he could not say anything about this. According to Schulze, he had not yet been approached or written to on the subject. However, the minister promised to provide a detailed written statement on the matter afterwards.
Many cities in Germany are complaining about license fees for music at Christmas markets, some of which have risen significantly. In September, the organizer of the Christmas market in Magdeburg criticized an increase in Gema costs from around 1750 euros before the Corona pandemic to more than 101,000 euros. According to a city spokesperson, license fees for music in the city of Halle (Saale) have also risen from around 4800 euros in 2019 to more than 26,000 euros last year.
The collecting society Gema pointed out that the tariff for city festivals applicable to Christmas markets was last negotiated in 2018. In the past, music was licensed on the basis of the usage areas reported by customers. After the coronavirus pandemic, measurements had revealed significant discrepancies in some cases. These are therefore not new tariffs, but a consistent application of the existing tariffs.
The left-wing municipalities across Germany have joined the chorus of criticism, echoing the sentiment expressed by the Parliamentary Secretary. They are hesitant to pass on the increased music license fees to market visitors, potentially impacting local tourism during the festive season.
In light of these challenges, some municipalities are exploring alternative options for music at their Christmas markets, aiming to strike a balance between tradition, community enjoyment, and financial feasibility.
Source: www.dpa.com
