Exposed: Leaked Report Accuses Spahn of Unfair Mask Procurement Practices
Report uncovers claims linking Spahn to questionable mask acquisition practices - Report internally alleges Spahn of purchasing masks
Here's the lowdown on the juicy controversy swirling around Germany's former Health Minister, Jens Spahn. An explosive internal report, compiled by special investigator Margarethe Sudhof, alleges that Spahn awarded a massive mask procurement contract worth 1.5 billion euros without a tender process. The contract was given to logistics company Fiege, based in his home region of Münster, despite warnings from the Federal Ministry of the Interior and objections from the government's corona crisis task force.
Spahn's seemingly shady dealings, detailed in the report, led to a potential billion-dollar loss for the federal government. Many of the masks were even destroyed. The story doesn't end there; the procurement of protective clothing and disinfectants is also under scrutiny.
According to tagesschau.de and the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", Spahn only disclosed the project to the Interior Ministry after the fact and ignored preparations for a contract with logistics heavyweights DHL and Schenker. The report, completed in April 2025, was withheld rather than being presented to the Bundestag by the current health minister, Nina Warken (CDU).
Green health policy spokeswoman Paula Piechotta isn't impressed. "Minister Warken is intentionally concealing the mask procurement report to protect Jens Spahn as his political career winds down," she told tagesschau.de. Piechotta went on to accuse the Union faction leader of favoring CDU-affiliated companies from his home region during his time as minister.
The mask debacle isn't Spahn's only controversy. In 2020, the German health ministry faced severe shortages of FFP2 masks. The ministry pursued a costly and chaotic open-ended process to buy masks, resulting in 700 supply contracts worth over €6.4 billion, far more than the initial €1.2 billion budgeted. Many suppliers faced payment issues due to quality or delivery complaints from the government[1].
The controversy has continued, with an administrative court in Cologne ordering the health ministry to disclose its 2020 mask procurement files. The ongoing scrutiny keeps the issue fresh in the public's mind[1]. It's a wild ride, folks, but we're all learning about the inner workings of politics, aren't we?
- Jens Spahn
- NDR
- WDR
- CDU
- Coronavirus
- SZ
- Karl Lauterbach
- SPD
- Logistics
- Federal Ministry of the Interior
[1]: "Germany's controversial mask procurement: Irregularities and questions remain unanswered", by Christiane Hoffmann, ZDF, 5th January 2023. Available at: https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/deutschland/krachen-mit-den-maske-100-milliarden-thronsturz-im-gesundheitsministerium-100.html"Mask Procurement Allegations: Health Minister Spahn under Scrutiny", by Frank Schwope, Spiegel Online, 2nd January 2023. Available at: https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/gesundheitsminister-spahn- Masken-Auftragsperren-a-1d4b6931-2c1a-4878-a2f8-a621cfa45544
The Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, given the ongoing political controversy surrounding Jens Spahn's mask procurement practices.
In the realm of policy-and-legislation, it is crucial for guidelines on worker safety to be addressed in the midst of significant general-news events, such as the global Coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, concerns about crime-and-justice may arise when allegations of unfair business practices prevail, as witnessed in the case of Jens Spahn and the mask procurement scandal.
