Jens Spahn Stands Firm on Mask Procurement Amid Controversy
Jens Spahn justifies mask costs amidst public scrutiny
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In the latest twist in the mask saga, Union faction leader Jens Spahn has defended his actions concerning costly mask procurement and a logistics contract during his tenure as Health Minister. "When it's a crisis, having is more important than needing. It was an unprecedented crisis, and exceptional circumstances called for extraordinary measures," Spahn stated in an interview with Table.Today podcast.
Recent reports by Suddeutsche Zeitung, WDR, and NDR have shed light on a previous confidential report by special investigator Margarethe Sudhof on expensive mask purchases at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Critics, including the Greens and the Left, have demanded clarification regarding Spahn's alleged favoritism towards a Westphalia-based company for mask procurement without competitive bidding. The report has caused uproar, with calls for immediate, transparent parliamentary disclosure, as urged by Green faction leader Britta Haßelmann and the left faction's parliamentary business manager, Christian Göörke.
According to the faction leader, the details revealed in the report have been known for several years. "We took on financial risks because everything was scarce, and everyone said, 'Get it, cost what it may,'" Spahn explained, defending his actions during the crisis. In the case of the allegations about favoritism towards Fiege, a logistics firm from his constituency, Spahn argued that he reached out to known contacts in an emergency to ask for help. "In extraordinary circumstances, a tendering procedure taking three or six months would have been impossible," he reasoned.
Spahn expects the report by special investigator Sudhof to eventually be published and is confident that the ministry will evaluate and transparently share information with the Bundestag and the public. However, he now views the procedure of signing contracts for masks at a guaranteed fixed price of 4.50 euros critically. Spahn stated that he would not repeat this decision and would not recommend it to others. The government had explored other methods of procurement but made large orders to avoid leaving any options untried, even if prices seemed high, as some masks cost 30 euros during the pandemic.
The unfolding controversy revolves around claims of questionable procurement and distribution practices during the early stages of the pandemic. The investigation has unearthed issues of lack of competitive bidding, operational failures, contract overruns, and quality and delivery disputes. These findings have fueled ongoing criticism of decision-making and contract management within the Health Ministry during Spahn's leadership.
[Source: ntv.de, dpa]
[Enrichment: The special investigator's report on expensive mask purchases during Jens Spahn’s tenure as German Health Minister highlighted several critical issues regarding the procurement and distribution of masks at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings include lack of competitive bidding, operational failures, contract overruns, and quality and delivery disputes. These issues have fueled ongoing criticism and scrutiny of decision-making and contract management within the Health Ministry during Spahn’s leadership.]
Other critics, including those from policy-and-legislation sectors such as the Greens and the Left, have raised concerns about politics surrounding the mask procurement saga, questioning the general-news worthiness of the findings and calling for transparency in parliament.
In response to allegations of favoritism towards certain companies, Jens Spahn, Union faction leader and former Health Minister, argued that in extraordinary circumstances, he had relied on known contacts to expedite procurement, acknowledging that a competitive bidding process might have been impossible under such politics.
