Uncovering the Spahn Report Scandal: Greens Slam Health Minister Warken over Wrongdoing Allegations
Health Minister Warken faces accusations from the Green party over alleged negligence in health policies.
In the midst of the corona pandemic, a probe into mask deals suggests that former health minister Jens Spahn may have acted shady. Yet, the current health minister, Nina Warken, continues to withhold the incriminating report from the Bundestag, a move the Greens denounce as "scandalous."
"Immediately present the special mask procurement report, in full, and unedited, to the parliament," urged Green Party faction leader Britta Haßelmann. She sees it as unacceptable that Warken, a colleague of Spahn's from the CDU, has withheld the report thus far.
The Greens are fired up, as reportedly € billions of taxpayers' money went up in smoke during the mask procurement. "The possible loss to the federal budget, and the consequences for taxpayers, may surpass those of Andreas Scheuer's car toll fiasco," Haßelmann warned. She demands that the areas of responsibility for the actions taken in mask procurement during the pandemic are clarified, particularly regarding "the decisions and contract awards made by then health minister Jens Spahn."
Politics - Spahn in Hot Water Investigation Report on Mask Deal Haunts Former Health Minister: Reports from NDR, WDR, and "Süddeutsche Zeitung" (SZ) on Friday implicate Spahn heavily in the 170-page report by the special commissioner appointed by former federal health minister Karl Lauterbach. From 2020 to the end of 2021, Spahn served as health minister.
The accusations center around the fact that Spahn handed a mask procurement contract worth €1.5 billion to logistics firm Fiege from his home state of North Rhine-Westphalia without a tender, despite an earlier warning from the Federal Ministry of the Interior – the department responsible for logistics issues – to steer clear of Fiege, as reported in SZ. The government's corona crisis team also opposed the decision, which Spahn disregarded.
Politics - Unaccounted Billions Sudhoff Report Brings Further Criticism Against Jens Spahn: The botched project led to a reported € billion loss for the federal government, with many masks ending up in landfills. The accusations extend to the procurement of protective clothing and disinfectants, and the Sudhoff report has been available since April 2025, but has yet to be published.
Sources: ntv.de, as/AFP
- Jens Spahn
- Karl Lauterbach
- Nina Warken
- Corona Crisis
- Face Masks
- Britta Haßelmann
Enrichment Insights:
The controversy surrounding the Spahn report primarily revolves around the procurement and management of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the key points:
Spahn Report and Allegations
- Procurement Mismanagement: During the initial shortage of FFP2 masks in 2020, the German Health Ministry, under Jens Spahn, launched an open procurement process without upper limits on order size. This resulted in 700 contracts totaling €6.4 billion, far exceeding the budgeted €1.2 billion.
- Logistics and Distribution Mess: The logistics firm responsible for the mask distribution was reportedly chosen without a competitive bidding process. The firm struggled to manage the large volume of masks.
- Allegations of Wrongdoing: Spahn faced accusations over the choice of the logistics firm and the handling of the mask procurement process. Critics argue that the lack of competitive bidding may have led to inefficiencies and potential favoritism.
- Legal and Administrative Developments: In January 2023, a Cologne administrative court ordered the health ministry to share files related to the mask procurement measure from 2020. A confidential report by special investigator Margarethe Sudhof solidified these allegations against Spahn.
Impact and Consequences
- Excess Inventory: By August 2020, the government faced having to dispose of 250 million masks, revealing issues in procurement planning and supply chain management.
- Legal Complications: About 100 suppliers challenged the government's rejection of payments for masks over quality concerns or delayed delivery, leading to legal battles.
- The Commission is also proposing to extend the scope of the probe into the Spahn Report Scandal to include the decisions and contract awards made by then health minister Jens Spahn in the areas of health and wellness, specifically regarding mask procurement during the corona crisis.
- Green Party faction leader Britta Haßelmann has called for the immediate release of the special mask procurement report, which was compiled by Karl Lauterbach's special commissioner and includes detailed findings about Jens Spahn's actions related to medical-conditions and politics.
- With allegations of contract awards made without tender, inappropriate choices of logistics firms, and excessive inventory of face masks, the Spahn Report and the broader investigation into mask procurement mismanagement have widened to encompass the general news sphere, drawing criticism towards not only Jens Spahn but also his successor, Nina Warken, for withholding the report from the Bundestag.
