A resignation for 200,000 francs? – the Sunday newspaper



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Tempo, tears and agitation: even a week after the resignation of Stephan Märki as director of the Berner Stadttheater, there are still many outstanding issues, but also new information. It is clear that it was the search for this newspaper, which ultimately led to the fact that Märki left his post immediately. And this after years where repeated violent conflicts at the theater of Berne were mentioned.

Due to the publication of the SonntagsZeitung-Recherchen, it seems that Stephan Märki would have violated the rules of the Konzert Theater Bern (KTB) because it hides the relationship with Sophie-Thérèse Krempl, responsible for cooperations and special projects, for months a. For both – Krempl and Märki – belonged to the theater of management, in which possible conflicts of interest had to be disclosed. In addition, there is accusation in the play that Märki has made the use of an earlier love the condition for someone else, as this person has signed a contract at KTB.

Explanation not completed

There are many allegations in the room, how come that Stephan Märki receives the salary of his artistic director until the end April and that he is still allowed to produce an opera production in his former home in May 2019? And what does it mean financially for the theater and for us taxpayers, if Märki has reached the retirement age in April 2019 at the age of 64?

Informed sources say that Stephan Märki had to be forced to resign, so the time was short – and the waiver agreement was signed on Friday at 1:30 pm, so half an hour before the press conference, the Märki knew his resignation was. Märki could not finish his prepared explanation himself, because the tears were already in his eyes. Nadine Borter, who served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees since 1 July, has succeeded her.

220,000 Swiss francs as possible severance pay

A termination without notice was considered but rejected the continuing source: too high is the risk that Märki could complain, because the director had a other contract valid for three years. In the end, a balance of risks and costs has therefore been established. These are probably not low now.

According to well-informed circles, Stephan Märki received 250,000 francs a year as artistic director and received each year a maximum bonus of 36,000 francs for successful theatrical operations, always paid during his six-year stay at the KTB . should. Another 20,000 francs were reserved for home productions, a possibility that Märki used twice during his time as director of KTB.

If Märki were to be paid until April and publish his production "Tristan und Isolde" at the Berner Stadttheater in May 2019, he could receive a total of 220,000 francs. Could: Obviously, opera production is exempt from the exemption agreement – but Märki could still be challenged. In response to questions about the exemption agreement, Stephan Märki refers to the duty of confidentiality to which everyone is committed. "From now on, I am private," said Märki, when he left the press conference room Friday after his resignation a week ago – giving the impression that he could evade to the responsibility. But this should not be the case: until the continuation of his salary, the "contractual obligations" of the former director continue to exist. This means that "he is still required to provide truthful information" to the Board of Trustees, says lawyer Marcel Brülhart, who served as Chairman of the Board of Directors until the end of the year. on July 1, 2018 and until new order is a member of the Board. Head of Division

There are many questions that one could ask Märki: did he subordinate his former partner Claudia Meyer to potential interim directors, and one of them? They refused the post because it was not this condition? wanted to accept? Did his former partner have more money available for stage sets than the other directors who worked at KTB?

Questions must also be asked to the theater management board: In preparation for his third season in Bern, Stephan Märki has been appointed by the director as director. The board of directors, which was chaired by former CFF chairman Benedikt Weibel at the time, was responsible for this appointment. Informed sources claim that this was clearly related to the expansion of Märki's power and a restriction of the autonomy of the various managers in the sector. Is "unmistakable" clarity an expansion of power?

Marcel Brülhart against this point: they gave the title of director to Märki because often nobody knew the house. And it is inside that it is "clearly clear" that Märki "also assumes the ultimate artistic responsibility of the house". It is probably this claim to "the absence of ambiguity" that has aroused the concerns of department heads that appointment as steward would lead to an expansion of power. and the autonomy of the divisions is reduced. The board of directors has been informed of these concerns. But they did not dissuade him from his decision. For Märki, the appointment as steward was associated with a contract amendment, which also abolished the ban on staging his own home. From that moment on, he was not only a director but also an artist at home.

At the press conference, Marcel Brülhart assured him that he would participate in a full investigation of the events of the KTB. This is to salute. But will other directors also be involved, who should also be held accountable and involved? Benedikt Weibel, who was chairman of the board of directors from 2012 to 2016 and – according to Brülhart – received CHF 40,000 a year in this function, was not available for this newspaper. The entrepreneur Peter Stämpfli, a member of the Board of Directors from 2011 to 2017 as the representative of the City of Bern, questioned SonntagsZeitung's research on Twitter. After a telephone conversation and a change of mail, Stämpfli was no longer available for the SonntagsZeitung when he had to publish his statements for printing. Other founding boards did not want to express themselves publicly, did not even speak during our research when you contacted them.

The Bern Government is responsible for taking up its duties. But after wondering whether the city of Bern, one of the theater's main backers, will look to find out if the board of trustees has always acted correctly in all disputes at the KTB, the mayor of Bern, Alec von Graffenried, declares that there is more reason to question him. Foundation Board in the past still to investigate. We now have a new board of directors. "Is such a complete clarification of the events, which have been subjected to pressure only under pressure – and probably will come?

(19659020) Created: 14.07.2018, 19: 9 o'clock

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