The Feixina "artisanal" market: a single German company has 45 stalls

PalmThe Feixina Christmas Market has a distinctly Central European flavor. According to the list of stalls submitted by the organizers to the Palma City Council, which ARA Baleares has obtained, 45 of the 61 stalls are registered to just two businessmen from Germany and Austria. Months before the event, these two men formed a limited company to manage markets. Gerald Kendlbacher, who has gained media attention as a collaborator in organizing the market, controls 29 stalls. This past February, he founded the company dedicated to organizing "events, fairs, concerts, and markets," according to the commercial registry.

Furthermore, Bernhard Gewessler, who joined the company as a joint administrator in November, is listed as the owner of 16 stalls. The company's share capital increased from €100 to €50,000 with the addition of the new partner. Since then, both businessmen have been listed as joint administrators. In total, 45 of the market's 61 stalls are now under the same management.

The Christmas Market initiative comes from Afedeco and Pimeco and is part of the program Palma, a true entertainment centerThe initiative aims to boost commerce through events held throughout the city. However, both residents and vendors have voiced their criticisms. Firstly, they complain about the reduction in the number of stalls at the traditional market in Parc de les Estacions, and secondly, they point out that there are no surrounding businesses in the Feixina area that could benefit. "We don't understand how Pimeco and Afedeco participated," lamented sources from the Santa Catalina and Jonquet Civic Centers. Furthermore, many users believe it's a market exclusively featuring products from other parts of Europe, offering no options for local products and artisans.

Without a public tender

The procedure for setting up these markets is inexpensive, requiring only a request for permission to occupy public space and payment of the corresponding fee. In other words, it doesn't depend on a public tender or bidding process, where different companies submit proposals and the contract is awarded based on technical criteria and public interest.

The Civic District is clear on the matter and asserts that it is a market "for Germans, by Germans... It's blatant colonization." Speaking to ARA Baleares, a member of the neighborhood council also criticized the offerings: "There's nothing. Practically everything is food and drink," and regarding the handicrafts, he added that "they're nothing special: red Christmas baubles you can buy at any bazaar." For its part, the Association of Artisans, Merchants, and Fair Vendors of Mallorca wishes them "the best," although it believes that the Administration "has favored this market more than the one at the train stations, even though both are compatible." In their opinion, there are now "many markets in Mallorca, and this is just another one."

For the Association for the Defense of Mallorca's Heritage (ARCA), "importing a Christmas market model from Central Europe is not a way to respect Mallorcan traditions, even though the mixing of cultures and commercial activity always generates new customs." The organization's representative, Àngels Fermoselle, believes that "the management has not been transparent and has generated a negative reaction from the Santa Catalina neighborhood, which is heavily impacted by gentrification and noisy nightlife." "I think it would have been smarter to introduce the necessary innovations to Palma's traditional Christmas market stalls, which would improve the overall image and perhaps integrate new offerings, but not as a separate market," she emphasized.

"It strictly complies with regulations"

In response to accusations made by Barrio Cívico, Pimeco and Afedeco have emphasized that the Feixina Christmas market has "all the necessary municipal permits, strictly complies with regulations, and fully respects neighborhood coexistence." "Palma needs economic, cultural, and social activity that brings life to the neighborhoods," said Carolina Domingo, president of Pimeco. Regarding the criticism of the use of public space, Joana Manresa, president of Afedeco, points out that "no square can be treated as private property or presented as the exclusive property of a specific association." "Public spaces belong to all citizens," she stressed. Both business associations also regret that their requests to meet with the neighborhood group have not been granted. Reactions at Palma City Hall

The Councillor for Commerce, Restaurants, and the Self-Employed, Lupe Ferrer, defends the initiative, stating that it aims to "support those who sustain economic and social life: small and medium-sized businesses, which are going through difficult times." She emphasized that the project is driven by the small and medium-sized business associations (Afedeco and Pimeco) and therefore "represents the will of thousands of shopkeepers and self-employed individuals." She also asserts that the market "has been processed in accordance with all legal requirements" and that it "meets all regulatory demands." Ferrer made these statements during the November plenary session, following a motion on the matter presented by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), which was rejected by the votes of the PP (People's Party) and Vox.

The PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) in Palma, specifically Angélica Pastor, denounces the fact that a large number of the stalls are managed by these Central European businesspeople. She laments that several "unknowns" still exist regarding whether the market has all the necessary permits, a security plan, and the criteria for allocating the stalls, in order to avoid "unfair competition" with the vendors who traditionally set up stalls at Christmas. "Meanwhile," she criticizes, "there are at least four families who haven't found a place in the market at Parc de les Estacions and have been offered alternatives to La Riera." Pastor also criticizes the initiative for "not supporting local products and businesses" and for being focused on "foreign customs": "Everyone drinking mulled wine, eating hot dogs... I think the mayor has lost control of the situation."

Along these lines, Kika Coll, councilor for MÁS per Palma, laments that the market is based "on American and European models" and not on Mallorca's distinctive characteristics. She also believes that occupying the Feixina market constitutes "a use and abuse of public space," a point on which Lucía Muñoz, councilor for Podemos, agrees.