What he would "never do again": Spahn defends mask purchases with "financial risks"

Excerpts from an internal report on Jens Spahn's work as Federal Minister of Health during the coronavirus pandemic are putting the CDU politician under pressure. He addresses the allegations in an interview. He expects the report to be published.

CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn rejects allegations against him regarding overpriced mask orders and a logistics contract during his time as health minister. "In times of need, having is more important than needing. This was a crisis of the century and an exceptional situation. There was a shortage of everything. Everything was in short supply. Everyone said: 'Get it, whatever the cost.' Of course, we took financial risks," the CDU politician said on the Table.Today podcast.

Spahn is responding to a report by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, WDR, and NDR. The three media outlets have access to the previously classified report by special investigator Margarethe Sudhof on expensive mask purchases in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the report, Spahn allegedly favored a company from his Westphalian homeland "without any competition" regarding the logistics of mask procurement.

In recent days, the Greens and the Left Party, among others, have demanded clarification. Current Health Minister Nina Warken of the CDU must submit the report to Parliament "immediately, completely, and unvarnished," Green Party parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann demanded on X. The parliamentary director of the Left Party, Christian Görke, told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND): "The mess and damage Spahn has left behind as minister must finally be revealed—even if it requires a committee of inquiry. The public has the right to know what is being done with their tax money."

Spahn: " We wanted to leave no stone unturned"

Spahn countered in an interview with Table.Today that the details now published had been "known for three or four years." "This has all been researched multiple times," said the parliamentary group leader. Regarding the accusation that he had favored the company Fiege, located near his constituency, for mask logistics, Spahn said: "Yes, of course, in the emergency, I first talked to people I knew to ask who could help. And yes, we did everything without a tender. How could that have worked with a tendering process that takes three or six months?" Spahn said. "At the time, Fiege had a complete concept for dealing with the pandemic," said the CDU politician.

Spahn expects the report by Special Representative Sudhof to be published. "I am confident that the ministry will evaluate the report and transparently inform the Bundestag and the public about it. I have no doubt about that."

Spahn now views the process his ministry used to order masks for a guaranteed fixed price of €4.50. "I would never use such a process again; I can't recommend it to anyone. We tried every other channel back then. We didn't even know if we'd get any offers. Some masks cost €30, and we wanted to leave no stone unturned. Why should we intentionally procure too many and at too high a price?" Spahn asked.