As of: January 30, 2024, 6:04 p.m
By: Teresa Toth
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Zuhra Visnjic, a master hairdresser from North Rhine-Westphalia, struggles with existential fears.
In the talk show “hard but fair” she speaks openly about her financial worries.
Frankfurt - "I'm very worried, I have existential fears, I can't sleep at night." In the talk show "hard but fair", master hairdresser Zuhra Visnjic reports on her great financial problems.
She has been running her own salon in Remscheid (North Rhine-Westphalia) for nine years.
Rising energy and personnel costs are causing her problems - her customers also report similar fears.
In “hart aber fair” the hairdresser talks about her fear of having to give up her salon
Visnjic is afraid that her hair salon, which she describes as “her baby,” will no longer exist by the end of the year.
One of the reasons she cites for this is rising minimum wages, which means that she may soon no longer be able to afford any employees.
“The spiral doesn’t stop,” said the hairdresser on the ARD talk show.
In addition to her, the SPD politicians Carsten Schneider, Carsten Linnemann (CDU) and Sahra Wagenknecht, who has just founded her own party named after herself, are invited to the group.
“I always thought that if you work, if you are hardworking, you will be rewarded for it.
And today I have the feeling that it's no longer the case." Saving isn't an option at the moment - she'll be happy if she can pay her bills.
Your customers report similar situations.
“I simply don’t have any money left over that I can put aside.” Utility bills in particular are a big burden for which there is often a lack of money.
“That really scares me,” says the customer.
Another customer says she is afraid that the middle class will become impoverished.
She's not doing so badly financially yet, but she's gradually having to keep a closer eye on her expenses.
“We can afford less and less” – from the hairdresser’s point of view, workers need to be better supported
Visnjic is also very worried about her children.
“What will become of them if things continue like this?” She has two sons and a daughter.
Her eldest son is autistic and works in a workshop, her daughter is studying.
Her husband has been working as a bus driver in shifts for 20 years.
“I’m afraid that at some point I’ll be gone and my children will have to pay my debts.”
The master hairdresser Zuhra Visnjic from Remscheid reports on her worries in “hard but fair”.
She accuses politicians of inaction.
© Hard but fair/ARD/Screenshot
According to the master hairdresser, the family's net income is around 3,700 to 3,800 euros per month.
After deducting all fixed costs, only 700 to 800 euros remained.
With the expiry of the energy price brake, electricity and gas prices are likely to continue to rise dramatically this year.
It's not the case that she can't afford anything at all, explains Visnjic.
But: “We can afford less and less for our money and I find that worrying.”
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There are hardly any constructive suggestions from the politicians invited to “hard but fair”.
Visnjic accuses politicians of doing too little for workers.
Schneider replies that the economic situation in Germany is better than the mood.
Work in Germany is not only worthwhile, but also meaningful.
“tough but fair” moderator Louis Klamroth then asks for Wagenknecht’s assessment.
In their opinion, it would help in the very short term to reduce energy prices.
She also criticizes the mix of tax increases and tax cuts, which has the effect of placing a disproportionate burden on the lower middle.
“So in the end you will have less in your pocket,” said Wagenknecht to the hairdresser.
Linnemann, on the other hand, is convinced that the connection must first be restored, that something must first be earned before something is distributed.
“If we do that, then we will again stand up for people like them,” said the CDU politician to Visnjic.
“Are we still there then or have we been run to ruin by then?” she replies, visibly unimpressed.
To make ends meet, Visnjic tries to save on hairdressing products and in his own private life.
For example, she can no longer afford to travel, so she has “no luxury whatsoever.”
She works a lot and makes a pretty modest living from it.
“And that's not nice.” After all, says the hairdresser, you hope that you can treat yourself to something every now and then when you're working.
Be it a visit to the theater, the cinema or going out to dinner with the family.
However, this is currently not possible.
A show that will be remembered thanks to Visnjic's openness.
(tt)