French government shows true colors
Inside Liberty Watch Today - Dec. 1, 2005
If the French get their way Europe will have just two classes of musicians - those who live high on the hog and those who starve. The French musicians trade union and French authorities are conducting a witch-hunt for renegade non-union musicians.
Just ask conductor Volker Hartung, he was recently arrested during a performance in Strasbourg, France. Before his encore dozens of police officers stormed the concert hall and led him away in handcuffs.
The German maestro spent the next two nights in jail being interrogated for 20 hours on charges of exploitation of 62 musicians. Even the musicians were forced to stand in a small cell like criminals.
"They were questioning them for hours right after a arduous concert," Hartung said. "Still holding their instruments, forbidding them to go to toilets or to eat or drink."
These musicians are not exploited. They are young freelancers who get to travel and perform. Since they are non-union the public pays less for tickets. Conversely, Hartung must contend with politically powerful union officials who want to shut him down.
Additionally, Hartung's orchestra can perform in small towns that aren't norml stops for big shows. Of course some small towns will use a government subsidy to attract an expensive act. Hartung has never accepted a government handout.
This celebrated conductor has decades of experience as an independent, completely unsubsidized head of orchestras. He established the European New Philharmonic Orchestra in Luxembourg, Germany in 2002.
"I am trying to give young people a chance to play and earn a living," Hartung said. "I am a musician. ... If I wanted to make money, I would be a banker."
Hartung said he pays $95 to $120 per concert. A bass player in Hartung's orchestra, Alexander Tschernousov said he received $95 for the Strasbourg concert plus lodgings, bus transport and two meals a day. The unions believe Tschernousov should have received at least $120.
By touring Europe Hartung is fulfilling the vision of the founders of the European Union: free movement of people, goods and services. The Strasbourg concert was a response to Hartung and his orchestra becoming a target of the French musicians trade union.
"It was my intention to organize just one concert in Strasbourg in France to prove our goodwill and to obtain all permissions which are required by the French authorities," Hartung said.
The event was good for the French economy, but did not generate a profit. Those costs would be recovered at more successful stops during the tour. Now however, due to this legal battle, the conductor's income is down by 50 percent.
Hartung is not the only victim, conductor David Miller was also accosted by French police after a performance. The tour organizer, an Italian, was taken to prison for two days and charged with illegally importing workers to the country.
"The performance was over and we were changing into our civvies," Mr Miller said. "Suddenly the place was full of police. No one was allowed to leave until they were cleared by the police."
If the French succeed in eliminating these types of musical ventures, they will eliminate a crucial rung in the musician's workforce ladder. It would also be a devastating blow to free enterprise and freewill.
Oddly enough, the only way these artists could survive in France would be by joining a union and accepting a government handout. The laws in France make it too expensive to organize these types of events.
Simply put, high-priced musicians in France are using their political clout to keep low-wage musicians out of the marketplace. Music is not just for the upper crust, all people should be free to perform or enjoy music with out fear of government persecution.
Lewis Whitten, Liberty Watch Reader
