Rhein defends Spahn: Corona mask purchases under pressure and criticism!

Rhein defends Spahn: Corona mask purchases under pressure and criticism!

In the last few days, the debate about former Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn's (CDU) corona-related mask purchases has heated up again. On July 10, 2025, a consultation on the formation of a Corona study commission took place in the Bundestag. In this context, Hesse's Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) also spoke out and defended Spahn against numerous allegations. “He took responsibility in an exceptional historical situation,” emphasized Rhein, who also called for more support for his party colleague and described the pressure during the pandemic as enormous. Chancellor Friedrich Merz also supports Spahn and sees the decisions of the government at the time as the right steps to combat the crisis. Stern reports that the push for masks during the peak phase of the pandemic required rapid action.

But the wind doesn’t blow everywhere in Spahn’s direction. SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf did not rule out a committee of inquiry, while the Greens and the Left are also calling for a comprehensive review of mask purchases. A recently published report by special investigator Margaretha Sudhof raises serious questions about Spahn's actions. According to this report, Spahn initiated a mass procurement of protective masks at high purchase prices as early as 2020 without conducting serious negotiations. Critics point out that Spahn acted against the advice of his specialist departments and that personal influence on the selection of suppliers cannot be ruled out. Tagesschau informs that the federal government spent around 5.9 billion euros on 5.8 billion masks between 2020 and 2024, but only 1.7 billion of them were distributed domestically.

Massive overprocurement and unanswered questions

The numbers speak for themselves: over half of the masks procured have now had to be destroyed, and the execution of the contracts entails risks of up to 480 million euros from legal disputes. The ministry assumes that there are around 100 ongoing lawsuits with a total dispute value of 2.3 billion euros. This raises the question of whether a closer look is necessary to better understand the background to the enormous procurement. [ZDF].

However, the criticism does not go unheard. Janosch Dahmen from the Greens makes serious allegations and also criticizes the current Health Minister Nina Warken for alleged redactions in the report. The suspicion that the information policy is also aimed at protecting Spahn hangs over the entire discussion like a sword of Damocles. According to Spahn himself, he acted to the best of his knowledge and belief and describes the report as “nothing new”. Nevertheless, the feeling remains that there is more at stake here than just a reappraisal of past decisions.

Looking into the future

What happens next remains questionable. While the CDU leadership stands behind Spahn and sees no new allegations in the unredacted Sudhof report, other parties are calling for more clarity. The pressure for clarification is growing, especially since the Federal Audit Office is already talking about “massive over-procurement” and still sees a need for clarification. The discussion about a committee of inquiry is not off the table, even if Spahn personally sees a study commission as the better way to come to terms with it. Citizens can be curious to see how the political landscape will move on this issue.