Allegations of masking imposed by Spahn dispelled - Left-wing factions push for his resignation
Unleashed: Spahn Stands Tall Amidst COVID Mask Scandal
By Basil Wegener, Berlin (dpa)
Former Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) is unfazed after a grilling in the House of Commons of the Bundestag, insisting that most allegations against him regarding the COVID-19 mask procurement have been debunked. The ex-leader of the Union faction didn't pull any punches, calling the attempts to paint his decisions in a negative light as "attempted defamation."
Sudhof Report - A Gunslinging Gallop
The fireworks were set off by a damning report by special investigator Margaretha Sudhof. It claims that Spahn interfered extensively in the procurement of protective masks, despite warnings from his own departments. The ensuing chaos resulted in potentially billions of euros of risk for the state. Sudhof was commissioned by Spahn's successor, Karl Lauterbach (SPD).
"I consider most of the allegations from the Sudhof paper to be defused," said Spahn. "We were in the middle of a health war and were ill-equipped, to put it mildly. We had no weapons, no ammunition, no protection." He emphasized, "We did what was necessary to procure masks."
Finance Minister and Spahn were of one mind: It was better to spend money than to risk lives. "This led to us spending 440 billion euros in federal funds to combat the pandemic over three years," Spahn confirmed. This sum also covered protective shields for hospitals, vaccines, and tests.
The Wild West of Procurement
Spahn welcomed the idea of a parliamentary inquiry commission. Looking back, he acknowledged that the Wild West was alive and well in the procurement world. "It was the Wild West," he admitted. However, the decisions were always made by majority vote in the Bundestag. Spahn explained why external companies were brought in: "We were at our limit, and we were so at our limit that we also needed additional support."
Today's Health Minister, Nina Warken (CDU), defended Spahn while also stating that her ministry would not engage in direct procurements in the future. The Greens in the Bundestag, however, alleged that Spahn was suspected of "abuse of power in office." As their health spokesman, Janosch Dahmen said, "a company from Spahn's home region was commissioned without tender in a hurried procedure using partly WhatsApp and private email communication, and subsequently overwhelmed and waived damage claims."
Catching Up On Records and Redactions
Warken criticized special investigator Sudhof for methodological flaws and some incomprehensible deductions. Nevertheless, she admitted that the documentation of documents from relevant periods in the ministry had to be caught up later. "The Federal Ministry of Health should ideally be a legislative house, not a logistics company," acknowledged Warken. However, the situation at the time was particularly challenging.
Warken justified blackouts of personal data and business secrets of third parties in the report. She emphasized that these blackouts should not remain. Despite her efforts to provide transparency, certain details remain redacted for privacy and business confidentiality reasons.
Green's Call for Change
After Warken's interrogation, Green's Parliamentary Leader, Paula Piechotta, expressed that Sudhof's report had indeed instigated changes within the health department's strategy regarding questionable processes. "Mrs. Sudhof's work was thus very successful," Piechotta said. There are still 1.2 billion euros available in the federal budget for pending mask procedures. "That does not seem enough, according to our knowledge," Piechotta added.
Left's Call for Resignation
The Left Party demanded Spahn's resignation. "Anyone who so recklessly squanders our tax money should no longer hold an important political office," explained Left Party leader Ines Schwerdtner. Spahn, she claimed, had pushed through controversial billion-dollar deals against the advice of his experts. Therefore, she suggested, he should "render one last service to democracy and resign as faction leader this week."
- Health Committee
- Budget Committee
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Additional Insights:
- Special investigator Margaretha Sudhof's report, commissioned by Karl Lauterbach (SPD), found evidence of questionable procurement practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The logistics firm selected for mask distribution had no prior experience in such operations and was later overrun, causing delays and considerable waste of public funds.
- Despite calls for further investigation, Jens Spahn has maintained his position and emphasized the necessity of urgent action during a state of emergency.
- The Green Party supports an ongoing parliamentary inquiry into the German government's management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The left-wing opposition parties, particularly the Left Party, have escalated their demands for Spahn's resignation in light of these allegations.
- Due to the private nature of some communications and the personal data of third parties, certain details of the investigation remain redacted.
- The policy-and-legislation surrounding the COVID-19 mask procurement has been under scrutiny due to the Sudhof Report, which accused former Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn of extensive interference in the procurement process.
- The politics of the COVID-19 mask procurement and subsequent investigations have been intensely debated in the general news, with Spahn's successor, Karl Lauterbach, commissioning the report by special investigator Margaretha Sudhof, and Spahn maintains that most allegations against him have been debunked.
