Members of the Green Party have formally expressed concerns to Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the federal government’s transparency surrounding the procurement of COVID-19 masks during the pandemic. In a letter reported on by the business magazine Capital, Green Party parliamentarians Paula Piechotta and Janosch Dahmen allege a lack of comprehensive responses to inquiries concerning the handling of the contracts.
The representatives claim that despite the gravity of the allegations – centering on the actions of former Health Minister Jens Spahn – the government has failed to provide “substantiated answers” to numerous questions. They contend that official responses have been “incomplete, evasive, or significantly delayed.
Piechotta and Dahmen explain their appeal to the Chancellor stems from a belief that established parliamentary oversight mechanisms are being undermined, potentially creating a risk of further significant loss of public funds. They also highlighted the need to address potential damage to public trust in democratic processes arising from suspicions of abuse of power, the potential awarding of substantial contracts to politically affiliated companies and the decision not to pursue claims for damages against these same firms.
The letter details 90 outstanding questions related to the mask procurement deals, focusing on contracts awarded to logistics company Fiege and Swiss firm Emix Trading, totaling around 750 million euros. The lawmakers note the Health Ministry, under Spahn’s leadership, opted not to pursue legal claims against these companies despite reported issues with contract fulfillment.
Beyond these specific contracts, the Green representatives are seeking clarification on whether funds from the mask deals were channeled as donations to the CDU/CSU parties, discrepancies between findings in a previously released report and statements from the Health Ministry regarding pricing and whether the Ministry received directives to favor specific suppliers. The letter also raises concerns about incomplete documentation within the Ministry, the chaotic handling of the open-order process and the overall financial impact of the mask procurement.
Piechotta and Dahmen request a detailed response from the Chancellor by August 22, 2025.
