Bread and circuses

This maxim of his that I have heard recently, over two years after his death, could be the motto of many of the owners of subcontracting companies who are struggling with the nightmare of payment gridlocks. Just a few years ago, with our morale boosted by winning the contest to hold the Euro 2012 football championships, we were soon able to see the benefits as tenders were announced for the construction of the roads and stadiums needed for the successful execution of such a huge event. Now we have got to the stage where we are counting down the days until the kick-off of this feast for football enthusiasts, while conflicts between general contractors and subcontractors rage in the background. There is no shortage of friction between the parties involved in the disputes. However, to complain would seem somewhat inappropriate. Our colleagues from the Czech Republic and Romania are not having an easy time either, as we reveal in the pages of this issue. And they don't even have the consolation of being able to watch the matches live. As it has been commonly understood ever since Roman times, people need bread as well as circuses to be happy and contented.