Pressure is mounting within the German Bundestag as the Green Party and the Left Party urge the Social Democratic Party (SPD) to facilitate the establishment of an investigative committee regarding the ongoing “mask affair.
Irene Mihalic, First Parliamentary Director of the Green Party, told “Stern” magazine that the SPD’s commitment remains the sole requirement for initiating the committee. She stated that those genuinely committed to transparency should not hide behind justifications and that a refusal by the SPD would constitute a protective stance towards former Health Minister Jens Spahn and a disregard for the rights of parliamentary minorities.
Mihalic further criticized the findings contained within the recently declassified Sudhof report, which she described as revealing “a web of lobby payments and ministerial misjudgments”. She suggested that the apparent targeted redaction of passages by current Health Minister Karl Lauter appeared intended to conceal Spahn’s involvement and that a full investigation within an investigative committee is necessary for complete clarification.
Heidi Reichinnek, parliamentary group leader of the Left Party, told the magazine that the handling of the case by the Union parties is damaging to their credibility. Given the potential for billions of euros in losses attributed to the disputed deals, she believes it should be a given that responsibility is accepted and the investigative committee supported.
Reichinnek added that if the Union parties are unwilling to agree, the SPD must take action to prevent further erosion of public trust in politics. The prospect of special investigator Anna Sudhof presenting her perspective on Spahn’s personal role before the budget committee this week was viewed as a positive step. Both parties emphasized the public’s demand for urgent clarification and transparency.