Jens Spahn Stands His Ground Over Mask Pricing Controversy
Jens Spahn justifies elevated mask costs
In the heat of the pandemic, Jens Spahn, CDU faction leader, defends his questionable mask purchases and logistics contract during his tenure as health minister. "In a crisis, having outweighed needing. It was an unprecedented situation, a once-in-a-century crisis. Everything was scarce. Everyone was saying, 'Get it, cost what it may.' Of course, we took on financial risks," Spahn stated in the Table.Today podcast.
His defense comes after a report by Süddeutsche Zeitung, WDR, and NDR that vividly outlines Spahn's alleged preferential treatment of a Westphalian company for mask procurement amidst an uncompetitive bidding process. The growing criticism, from the Greens and the Left, calls for immediate and full disclosure of the special investigator Margarethe Sudhof's report to parliament. Green faction leader Britta Haßelmann insists that the report be presented "immediately, completely, and unfiltered" to parliament, while Left's parliamentary business manager, Christian Görke, urges for the mess and damage left behind by Spahn as minister to be made public.
When queried about these allegations, Spahn expresses that the details now circulating were already public knowledge for at least three or four years. Responding to the accusation of favoring Fiege, a company near his constituency, in mask logistics, Spahn stated, "Of course, I reached out to people I knew in an emergency situation to ask who could help. And yes, we did everything without tendering. How could that have worked with a tendering procedure that takes three or six months? Fiege had a well-prepared concept for dealing with the pandemic at the time."
In light of this controversy, Spahn anticipates the Sudhof report to be published and hopes for a transparent evaluation and public disclosure by the ministry. "I am positive that the ministry will evaluate the report and transparently inform the Bundestag and the public about it. I have no doubts about that," he affirmed.
The criticism now focuses on the fixed-price procurement of masks, which Spahn says he would reconsider and not recommend to anyone. "We tried all other channels at the time. We didn't even know if we would get offers. Some masks cost €30, we didn't want to miss any opportunities. Why should we intentionally buy too much and too expensively?" asked Spahn.
Sources: ntv.de, dpa
Background:
- Accusations of Favoritism and Exorbitant Mask Prices Against Jens Spahn:
The allegations involve Spahn's handling of mask procurement and distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the choice of a logistics firm without a competitive bidding process and buying masks at a fixed price of €4.50 each without an upper limit on order size. This resulted in expenditures of €6.4 billion, far surpassing the budgeted €1.2 billion, due to overpriced supplies and delayed deliveries[1].
- Current Status of the Investigation:
As of June 2025, the investigation into Spahn's management of the mask procurement process remains active. The confidential report by Margarethe Sudhof has reignited scrutiny, focusing on the alleged favoritism and the overall management of the mask procurement process[1]. Additionally, an administrative court in Cologne ordered the health ministry to release its files related to the mask procurement measure in January 2023, signaling ongoing legal and administrative scrutiny[1].
Other aspects of the controversy surrounding Jens Spahn involve his involvement in the policy-and-legislation and politics domains, as critics question his decisions regarding science and health-and-wellness Fiege, a company near his constituency, was chosen for mask logistics, leading some to accuse Spahn of favoritism. The general-news media continues to scrutinize Spahn's actions, with increasing demands for immediate and full disclosure of the special investigator Margarethe Sudhof's report to parliament. Pondering the future, Spahn hopes for a transparent evaluation and public disclosure of the report by the ministry, acknowledging that the mess and damage left behind by his tenure as health minister should also be made public.
