Corona-Pandemic - Spahn defends high prices for masks
Former Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) defends high costs for purchasing FFP2 masks during the early stages of the Corona Pandemic. "We wanted to ensure that masks were actually delivered", Spahn told Welt TV, who is now the Vice of the CDU/CSU Bundestag faction.
"In hindsight, yes, it was very expensive, but the masks were indeed there", Spahn added. At that time, everyone had said, even the Greens: "Secure masks at any price, in the literal sense. No one said: Be particularly frugal. And we did that."
Spahn also takes responsibility for the costs. "Did I as a minister make the decision? Yes, of course, who else should take political responsibility and make the decision in a crisis, in an emergency, if not the Minister", he said.
Lauterbach to disclose mask procurement processes
Spahn responds to a report in the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" citing emails from the Health Ministry. According to the report, the former Health Minister overruled a recommendation from his department to raise the purchase price for masks significantly.
His successor, Karl Lauterbach (SPD), announced last week that he would disclose the expensive mask purchases during the Corona Crisis. He has appointed the former State Secretary in the Justice and Defense Ministries, Margaretha Sudhof (SPD), to oversee the investigation. Simultaneously, Lauterbach stated that his predecessor, Spahn, had set the high purchase price of 4.50 Euros per mask.
- Jens Spahn, formerly the Federal Health Minister from the CDU party and currently the Vice of the CDU/CSU Bundestag faction, mentioned the high costs associated with procuring FFP2 masks during the initial stages of the Coronavirus disease in Germany.
- In response to criticisms about the high costs, Spahn emphasized that the masks were delivered promptly and that the government's primary concern was to ensure an adequate supply.
- The Green Party had also supported the "secure masks at any price" approach, thereby indirectly contributing to the high costs.
- Karl Lauterbach, the current Federal Health Minister and a representative of the SPD, has announced plans to disclose the details of the mask procurement processes during the Coronavirus crisis.
- According to a report in the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung," Lauterbach's predecessor, Spahn, had overruled a recommendation from his department to raise the purchase price for masks significantly.
