Riots: in Strasbourg, the estimation of damage and losses begins for traders

Tatiana Geiselmann (in Strasbourg) / Photo credit: THOMAS BANNEYER / DPA / DPA PICTURE-ALLIANCE VIA AFP 11:03, 05 July 2023

REPORT

Who will pay? The more days pass, the longer the list of businesses and businesses affected by a week of riots, not to mention public buildings. According to Bercy, 436 tobaccos were affected, sometimes downright devastated. In total, the France accounts for more than a billion euros in damage, according to Medef. For traders, this is the beginning of a long road to compensation. Example in a shoe store in Strasbourg: huge wooden planks have been affixed since this weekend on the facade of Audrey Schoepff's store. A backup solution that could however last several weeks.

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"We had to find a carpenter who will give us a quote for the replacement of the window. But since Covid-19, it is true that the delays are still very long. And I think we will have a hell of a lot of money," says the shopkeeper. A sum that his insurance should at least partially cover. The expert came the day before to assess the extent of the damage, but Audrey knows it: she will have to draw on her savings in any case.

Insufficient aid?

"I hope they will at least reimburse everything that is glazing. For sure there will be franchises so losses will be there anyway," she said. Losses also on the goods that have been stolen or damaged but also more sadly on sales. "We were closed Friday and Saturday afternoon. We have three points of sale in Strasbourg and they were all closed. We will miss three turnover over large periods and we will not be able to catch up with them," she regrets.

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The shopkeeper is also very pessimistic about the aid promised by the Grand Est region, which has released five million euros for very small businesses (VSEs) vandalized. For her, it would be necessary above all to compensate the employees, still very shocked by the attacks on the stores. To date, nearly 6,000 claims have already been registered by insurance companies. Provisional amount of cover to be committed: €280 million. Emmanuel Macron promises an emergency law to accelerate repairs.