Jens Spahn, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) parliamentary group, has defended his direct involvement in the procurement of coronavirus protective masks while serving as Federal Minister of Health. In interviews with RTL and ntv, Spahn acknowledged his personal engagement, stating, “Yes, of course”. He explained that he detailed this involvement in a recently published book, which chronicles his proactive role in securing vital resources including vaccines, ventilators and initially, protective masks. According to Spahn, he directly contacted individuals to gather information and facilitate negotiations. He emphasized that subsequent negotiations and the logistical execution were handled by specialists within the ministry, processes he described as “transparent and obvious”.
Spahn provided a calculation of the federal government’s spending during the three years of the pandemic, estimating it reached approximately €440 billion, allocated to measures such as coronavirus relief packages, short-time work benefits and aid for nursing homes and hospitals. He noted that roughly one percent of this substantial sum was dedicated to the purchase of protective masks. While acknowledging the significant expense, Spahn argued that the circumstances of the time warranted aggressive procurement strategies. “Haben ist besser als brauchen” he stated, echoing the sentiment of having resources available preemptively.
Drawing a parallel to the actions taken by former Minister for Economic Affairs, Robert Habeck, during the energy crisis, Spahn defended the decisions made to secure masks at considerable prices. Habeck, at the time, prioritized securing gas supplies regardless of cost to avert shortages. Spahn maintained that procuring masks at premium rates was a justifiable measure to prevent a prolonged lockdown and to minimize potential human suffering, asserting that the potential damage caused by a lack of masks would have been greater.
