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Health Minister Jens Spahn
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / picture alliance / dpa
Due to a new mask affair, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) is increasingly in distress.
"These processes in the Federal Ministry of Health are outrageous and inhumane," said SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil to SPIEGEL.
"The minister has to explain himself as soon as possible, he cannot point his finger at others here."
DER SPIEGEL revealed that Spahn's ministry had bought unusable masks for an estimated one billion euros in early 2020.
Because they were apparently not allowed to be distributed regularly, Spahn's people wanted to give them to Hartz IV recipients, the disabled and the homeless in special campaigns.
Masks should be destroyed
Meanwhile, the plan provides for the useless masks to be stored in the National Health Protection Reserve.
From there they should only be allowed to be issued in the event of a disaster.
In order to make them disappear, they should be destroyed after the expiry time has been reached.
Klingbeil said the "list of mistakes for which Jens Spahn is responsible in the pandemic" is getting longer and longer.
The new case could "not remain without consequences if people are treated like second class here."
Bärbel Bas, health policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, told SPIEGEL: It was an "absolute mystery" how a minister could come up with the idea of distributing "insufficiently tested and therefore presumably inferior masks" in special campaigns to people with disabilities .
"If this is confirmed, the proceedings are like a moral declaration of bankruptcy by the minister."
Spahn "not wearable"
There was also sharp criticism from other parties. Left leader Janine Wissler hardly concealed the resignation of Spahn. She called the behavior of the Ministry of Health "inhuman and abysmal". The question arises: "What does that say about Jens Spahn's image of man, if he allows inferior masks to be distributed to Hartz IV recipients, the homeless and people with disabilities?" A minister who is ready to make them vulnerable Consciously endangering groups "is not acceptable".
The left health expert Achim Kessler called for a parliamentary committee of inquiry. "The fight against the pandemic is turning into a billion dollar grave for taxpayers' money due to numerous and serious wrong decisions by Health Minister Spahn," said Kessler. He referred, for example, to the lack of control by providers of rapid tests, which had recently become known. And the scandal surrounding CDU members who had earned money from mask deals. "The minister must be held accountable for all these wrong decisions."
The health expert of the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Wieland Schinnenburg, spoke of a "serious incident".
Spahn must "either deny credibly or draw conclusions."
It is incomprehensible "how responsible politicians can come up with such ideas."
His parliamentary group colleague, medical law expert Katrin Helling-Plahr, said: "Spahn has now lost the last bit of trust in his work as a minister."
Recent comments suggest that the affair is becoming a campaign issue.
In the federal government, the Union and the SPD govern in a grand coalition.
The Bundestag will be re-elected at the end of September.
SPD General Secretary Klingbeil combined his criticism of Spahn with an attack on Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet.
"The ministers of the Union shine above all with technical errors and chaos," said Klingbeil.
"That also falls back on Mr. Laschet." Together with CSU leader Markus Söder, he is responsible for the ministers' performance.
"The two also cover the ministry errors."
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