Berlin, Germany – In a move to scrutinize the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the German Bundestag is preparing to establish a parliamentary inquiry commission. According to a report by Politico, citing coalition sources, the commission’s establishment is being fine-tuned by the parties, with a possible vote by the Bundestag as early as next Tuesday.
CDU Bundestagsabgeordnete Franziska Hoppermann is in the running to chair the commission, which is expected to comprise 14 Bundestag members and 14 experts from science and society. The commission’s title, as outlined in a draft, is “Aufarbeitung der Corona-Pandemie und Lehren für zukünftige pandemische Ereignisse” or “Processing the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lessons for Future Pandemic Events.”
The commission’s mandate is to provide a comprehensive and understandable overview of the pandemic, its causes, course and consequences, as well as the government’s measures, in order to draw reliable conclusions for the future. It will investigate the appropriateness, effectiveness and proportionality of the measures taken by the government, including the impact of the pandemic on children and youth, vulnerable groups and responsible parties and mistakes.
The commission will also scrutinize the procurement and allocation of medical protective equipment and other critical goods, particularly face masks, examining the speed, transparency, economy and legality of the process. This move comes as Union party leader Jens Spahn, who was the Health Minister at the start of the pandemic, is facing criticism over billion-dollar mask procurement deals.