Jens Spahn justifies elevated mask costs
Title: Jens Spahn Stands Firm on Costly Mask Prices: A Century's Crisis Demanded Hasty Action
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Jens Spahn, the tough-talking leader of the Union faction, fights back against mounting criticism over costly mask purchases and logistics contracts during his term as Health Minister. In a candid interview on the Table.Today podcast, the defiant CDU politician spoke about his handling of the crisis, saying, "In uncharted waters, it was never about need, but availability. it was a crisis of centuries, and exceptional measures were needed."
The backdrop to the controversy stems from a report by Süddeutsche Zeitung, WDR, and NDR, which accessed a previously confidential investigation by special investigator Margarethe Sudhof on expensive mask purchases at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The report alleges that Spahn favored a company based in Westphalia, his home region, for mask procurement logistics without a competitive bidding process. Spahn's critics, including the Green and Left parties, have recently demanded transparency and clarification on the matter. Green faction leader, Britta Haßelmann, demanded the report's "immediate, comprehensive, and untainted" presentation to parliament, while left parliamentary business manager, Christian Görke, called for the messy and damaging acts by Spahn to be exposed.
Spahn stands by his actions, telling Table.Today, "The details I'm addressing now have already been looked into multiple times." When asked about the allegation of favoring the Fiege company from his region, Spahn defended himself by stating, "Of course, I reached out to people I knew during an emergency to ask for help. And yes, we did everything without tendering. In those desperate times, a tendering process that takes months would have been impossible."
Spahn expects the Sudhof report to be made public, expressing confidence that his ministry will share the findings transparently with the Bundestag and the public. Spahn's ministry's approach to ordering masks at a fixed price of 4.50 euros is now under scrutiny, with critics arguing it could have been better handled. Spahn, however, defends the decision, saying, "I wouldn't recommend it again, but in those uncertain times, we tried every possible avenue. Asking for proposals from suppliers with a 30-euro price tag would have been reckless."
Likewise, Spahn dismisses the accusations as politically motivated, emphasizing, "I've been committed to addressing health challenges, and we've made significant efforts during my time as Minister. It's sad to see my actions taken out of context for political gain."
Sources: ntv.de, dpa
In addition to the base article, it's worth noting that Jens Spahn played a crucial role as the leader of the CDU party in Germany and was involved in various health initiatives during his tenure as Minister of Health. His actions during the pandemic, including the mask price controversy, have been met with a range of reactions in the German political landscape.
Other criticisms against Jens Spahn regarding the mask price controversy involve his policy-and-legislation decisions, which have been a subject of general-news discussions in the realm of politics. The actions of Spahn, as the leader of the CDU party, have sparked debates about fairness and transparency in public affairs.
