Stores that were forced to close as a result of the Slovak government’s measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 should have their rents reduced by 80 percent. That’s the view of the country’s Minister of Economics Richard Sulík after a government meeting on Thursday. He said that the state would bear half of the cost but that landlords should cover the remainder. Specific conditions detailing how this would be are to be discussed and by the council of the governing coalition. While it’s a crucial topic for the country’s entire retail sector, those negotiations will probably be overshadowed by prime minister Igor Matovič’s idea for a virtual blackout of Slovakia. He appears to be convinced that if virtually all Slovaks could be forced to remain home for a few weeks, the virus could be defeated. Matovič is also pushing for schools to be closed until the end of June, but he seems to be fighting this particular battle alone and is getting slaughtered for it so far in the media.
