“We are consulting with the owner of the property about the payment of the rent,” he says. “This business is my life. But now I have no idea how I can get out of this. In a normal economy you can do it well or badly as an entrepreneur. But in the case of corona, I am not to blame for everything going wrong.”
Enormous shrinkage
None of the EU countries will be hit as hard by the corona pandemic as Spain. Due to the long lockdown, the totally failed tourist season and new revivals of the virus, the economy is shrinking by 13 percent this year.
The economic malaise is clearly visible. In the streets around the Bartolomé ham shop, dozens of shops are already for sale or for rent.
“The center of Madrid has become a desert. Nobody comes anymore.” Bartolomé walks into his business, where he sells wine, nougat and saffron in addition to hams. Moments later he shows a black and white photo of better times, with his father and grandfather at the counter of the jamonería. Then the tears come.
“Of course I feel guilty,” he mumbles from behind his face mask. “If they could make it, why couldn’t I? I’ve got a little bit of strength left. But it’s not much more.”
The fear of the retail trade is that one in four companies will close their doors this fall due to the virus.
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