Never Again, Spahn Defends Mask Purchases Amidst Financial Risks
Spahn justifies mask acquisitions by stating the involvement of financial perils
CDU's Jens Spahn stands firm against accusations of costly mask orders and a logistics contract in his tenure as Health Minister. In an interview, he unapologetically acknowledges taking financial risks in an extraordinary crisis.
According to a report by Süddeutsche Zeitung, WDR, and NDR, Spahn is under fire for preferring a Westphalian-based company for mask logistics without a competitive bidding process. The Greens and The Left, among others, have called for transparency, with Green leader Britta Haßelmann urging swift presentation of the report to parliament.
In an interview with Table.Today podcast, Spahn defends his actions, stating that everyone thought, "Get it, no matter the cost," in the crisis. He argues that a tendering process would have taken months, which wasn't feasible given the pandemic's urgent demands. He elaborates that Fiege, the preferred company, boasted a ready-made concept for handling a pandemic at the time.
Despite expectations that the investigative report by Margarethe Sudhof will be published, Spahn remains unruffled. He admits that the details published have been known for years. Addressing allegations of favoritism, Spahn clarifies he turned to familiar contacts for help in an emergency.
The controversy centers around a mask procurement process with a guaranteed fixed price of 4.50 euros. While Spahn admits that he would never repeat such a strategy, he explains that they tried every other channel and had no guarantee of offers. Prices of masks sometimes reached frightening levels of 30 euros, and Spahn claims they were determined to leave no stone unturned.
In the end, Spahn believes the ministry will evaluate the report and transparently inform the Bundestag and the public about it. The source, ntv.de, reports this controversy under the categories: Politics, Minister ignored objections, Investigation report on mask deal puts Spahn under pressure, and What about the Spahn report? Greens raise allegations against Health Minister Warken.
[1] Finder, G. (2020, September 18). Gesundheitspolitik in der Corona-Krise kritisiert - Wie sieht die Indikator-Bewertung der Koalitionsparteien aus? Die Zeit. https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2020-09/gesundheitspolitik-corona-indikatoren-bundestagswahl-krisentrueger
[2] Ganninger, P. (2020, August 14). Wie politisch ist die Debatte um die Impfpflicht und die Covid-19-Ausgangslage? ORF. https://www.orf.at/stories/3083831/
- In the midst of the EC countries' employment policy discussions, the controversial mask procurement episode in Germany, involving Health Minister Jens Spahn, has reignited debates on the appropriateness of eminent action during a crisis, even with potential financial risks.
- Amidst the general news coverage of the science and health-and-wellness crisis, the politics surrounding the mask purchases by the German Ministry of Health have sparked concerns about transparency and competition in procurement processes, a relevant topic for both national and international employment policies.
