Members of Germany’s Green Party have formally expressed concerns to Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the federal government’s transparency surrounding the procurement of COVID-19 masks during the pandemic. In a letter reported on by the business magazine “Capital”, Green Party representatives Paula Piechotta and Janosch Dahmen allege a lack of comprehensive responses to parliamentary inquiries.
The representatives argue that despite the significance of allegations concerning former Health Minister Jens Spahn, the government has failed to provide “reliable answers”. They claim many official requests for information have been met with incomplete responses, evasions, or substantial delays.
Piechotta and Dahmen cite a perceived erosion of parliamentary oversight as a key reason for directly appealing to the Chancellor, warning that further public funds could be at risk. They emphasize the need to address potential damage to public trust stemming from suspicions of abuse of power, particularly regarding the awarding of substantial contracts to companies with perceived political connections and the decision not to pursue claims for damages against those firms.
The letter details 90 outstanding questions related to the mask procurement deals, seeking clarification on several specific contracts. These include the controversial order placed with logistics company Fiege and agreements with Swiss firm Emix Trading, totaling approximately 750 million euros. The Health Ministry, under Spahn’s leadership, opted not to pursue legal action for damages in these cases despite reported difficulties in contract fulfillment.
Piechotta and Dahmen also seek information regarding potential links between funds from the mask deals and party donations to the CDU/CSU, discrepancies between findings in a report commissioned by a parliamentary inquiry committee and statements provided by the Health Ministry and whether directives were issued to prioritize specific suppliers. The representatives further question the completeness of record-keeping within the Ministry, the handling of the open-ended ordering process and a comprehensive assessment of the total financial losses associated with the mask deals. They have requested a response from Chancellor Merz by August 22, 2025.