German Health Minister Nina Warken Announces Release of Investigative Report on Mask Affair to Parliamentary Committee
German Health Minister Nina Warken has announced that she will make the investigative report on the mask affair available to the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag, with some passages blacked out to protect sensitive data. In an interview with the Rheinische Post, Warken stated that the report will be submitted to the committee’s secretariat in the coming parliamentary week.
The minister emphasized the need to balance transparency with data protection, citing the inclusion of sensitive information such as personal employee data, business secrets of affected companies and details related to ongoing court proceedings with mask suppliers. Warken acknowledged the public’s interest in transparency but stated that the report is intended for parliamentarians and will remain a confidential document.
When asked if the report should have been made available to the former Health Minister, Jens Spahn, Warken replied that all parliamentarians should have equal access to the information. While she acknowledged that Spahn might have appreciated the opportunity to review the report before its public release, she also expressed understanding for the fact that he was not given the chance to comment on the report during its preparation.
Regarding Spahn’s actions during his tenure as Health Minister, Warken praised his willingness to take responsibility in difficult times, noting that even he has acknowledged that, in hindsight, he might have made different decisions with the benefit of hindsight. She emphasized that the report’s purpose is to learn from the experience and ensure that the government is better prepared to handle similar challenges in the future.