Green Party Slams Minister Warken for Hiding Report on Spahn's Mask Deals
Green Faction pushes for the disclosure of a report pertaining to Spahn's Masken-Deals
The Green Party has blasted Health Minister Nina Warken for refusing to publish an internal investigation report on mask procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic, alleging that her predecessor, Jens Spahn, acted improperly.
"It's a bloody disgrace that Minister Warken is keeping the mask procurement report under wraps," Green Party leader Britta Haßelmann declared. She accused Warken, a fellow CDU member, of obstruction and demanded immediate release of the report in its entirety and without censorship.
Haßelmann pointed out the astronomical sums of taxpayer money squandered on mask procurement, implying it may have overshadowed the financial repercussions from former Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer's controversial car toll. She emphasized the necessity to clarify the responsibility of decisions made and contracts awarded by then-Health Minister Spahn during the pandemic.
Politics: Call for Transparency as Spahn's Reputation Is Tarnished
According to reports from NDR, WDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, Spahn, who was Health Minister until the end of 2021, is heavily criticized in the 170-page report by special investigator Margarethe Sudhoff, appointed by former Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.
The criticism revolves around claims that Spahn awarded a mask procurement contract worth 1.5 billion euros to the logistics firm Fiege without a bidding process, despite objections raised by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and within the government's corona crisis team.
Politics: Billion-Dollar Blunders Continue to Mount
The procurement project, which ultimately failed, is said to have resulted in a multi-billion-dollar loss for the federal government, with many masks later being destroyed. The issue extends to the procurement of protective clothing and disinfectants. The Sudhoff report, which has been available since April 2025, hasn't yet been made public.
- Jens Spahn
- Karl Lauterbach
- Nina Warken
- COVID-19 crisis
- Face masks
- Britta Haßelmann
Enrichment Data:Regarding the internal investigation report on mask procurement by Jens Spahn, the most current details stem from June 2025. A confidential report by special investigator Margarethe Sudhof, parts of which have been seen by media, has added weight to accusations against Spahn. The report indicates that the logistics firm tasked with managing mask distribution during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic was chosen without competitive bidding and ultimately failed to handle the massive quantity of masks provided[1].
As of the present, no specific release date for the full report has been announced. However, an administrative court in Cologne ruled on January 19, 2023, that the health ministry must disclose its 2020 files related to this measure[1], suggesting a push towards transparency, although the timeline for the full report's release remains unclear.
The findings thus far suggest problems with the procurement process and the management of mask distribution. Jens Spahn had previously faced criticism for the surplus of masks, with intentions to donate 250 million masks due to excess supply[1].
The Commission is also proposing to extend the scope of the investigation into mask procurement during the COVID-19 crisis to include the policy-and-legislation aspect and the role of politics in the entire process. Britta Haßelmann, the Green Party leader, has called for immediate transparency regarding the internal investigation report on mask procurement and the obstructive behavior of Health Minister Nina Warken in withholding it.
