Spahn defends himself against criticism of mask purchases
Measures at the beginning of the Corona crisis in 2020 put the German politics in a legal dispute: The Federal Government is facing around 100 lawsuits with a total value of over two billion, regarding mask deliveries. The former Health Minister, Spahn, defends himself against accusations of wrongdoing.
Million-dollar risks for the Federal Government due to mask purchases at the beginning of the Corona crisis have caused a controversy in the German Parliament. The Red-Green Coalition demanded further clarification. "The use of billions in taxpayer money for questionable contracts must be examined," said Greens' Deputy Fraktionsvorsitzend Andreas Audretsch. He spoke of "one of the biggest tax fraud scandals." The former Health Minister Jens Spahn justified the actions of 2020: "We had to make decisions in an emergency." He particularly rejected the Greens' excessive accusations.
FDP budget politician Karsten Klein stated that now it's about minimizing risks from an oversupply, which was in the responsibility of the CDU. "For us, it's about learning for the future," he said. That's why a Commission of Inquiry is needed. SPD health expert Heike Baehrens stated that it must be clarified, for example, whether lax rules led to gold rush speculation and whether those invited to enrich themselves. "That's self-evident," she said. However, the presumption of innocence should be maintained until the investigations are completed.
Approximately 100 lawsuits with a total value of around 2.3 billion Euro have been filed due to contracts from the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, when masks were in short supply but urgently needed. To get masks faster for the healthcare system, the Ministry applied a special procedure. This led to contracts without further negotiations at fixed prices. Later, the department refused to pay and cited quality issues. Suppliers then sued.
Speakers of the Union came to the defense of the former Minister. Spahn spoke at the end of the debate. He reminded of the first Corona wave in spring 2020. The largest exporter China suddenly stopped exporting. "It was about saving lives," said Spahn. The mask procurement was expensive and chaotic, and it went the same way for all countries. "Yes, with the knowledge we have today, I would make different decisions," Spahn said. He criticized the Greens for being "hysterical in their rage." "They are making business for Corona deniers and don't even realize it," he added.
Spahn stated that they acted according to the motto: "Having is better than needing." The current Chancellor Olaf Scholz was also involved as Finance Minister and rightly made the money available, for which Spahn was grateful. "Do you really think the Health Minister can dispose of such sums alone?" Spahn asked. He had also detailed the matter several times in the Budget Committee.
Masks, which were delivered in poor quality back then, were not accepted, explained Spahn. On the contrary, suppliers complained, what about their good right was it. "Were we supposed to pay two billion euros for masks of poor quality? That would have been damage to the taxpayer." Spahn emphasized that one should work through the pandemic. He wished that this would not end up in petty party politics and be as broadly carried out as the Corona politics had been.
In response to the Corona crisis, Former Health Minister Jens Spahn defended his actions during mask deliveries, stating, "We had to make decisions in an emergency." The controversy around the millions of euros spent on questionable contracts led the Greens' Deputy Fraktionsvorsitzend Andreas Audretsch to call it "one of the biggest tax fraud scandals."
