Consequences from pandemic: criticism of Corona-Enquete-“bad shop window policy”

BSW boss Sahra Wagenknecht criticized the planned processing of Corona policy in parliament as inadequate. The planned Enquete Commission in the Bundestag is “bad window policy, which is not sufficient to process the Corona period,” she told the Editorial Network Germany (RND).

“It’s not just about masking, for which Jens Spahn has to be held responsible,” said Wagenknecht with a view to the then Federal Minister of Health Spahn (CDU). “There have been much more serious mistakes – up to unprecedented injustice.” The lockdowns were “excessively exaggerated” in many areas. The alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) is not in the Bundestag – it had just missed the move in the Bundestag election in February.

Comprehensive review with experts

On Wednesday, an application from the Union and SPD coalition factions is to be brought into the parliament with the aim of using an Enquete Commission for the processing of the pandemic. There should first be committee consultations about this. The establishment was already announced in the CDU, CSU and SPD coalition agreement. Unlike an investigation committee, such commissions are more designed for consensus. They consist of MPs and experts from science and practice. In the end there is a final report, often with recommendations for legislation.

In addition, the Bundestag deals with the controversial procedure for creating protective masks at high prices in the Corona crisis on Wednesday. Minister of Health Nina Warken (CDU) and the then minister Spahn are expected in the budget committee. It is about a report by the special investigator Margaretha Sudhof, who was still used by Warken’s predecessor Karl Lauterbach (SPD) in 2024. You should clarify Spahn’s procedure for mask purchases at the time and with logistics companies.

To this day “considerable costs” for mask deals

According to the special investigator’s report, Spahn, as Minister of Health in the Corona crisis “against the Council of his specialist departments”, had entered the protective mask procurement to a large extent. Spahn’s decision to master the procurement alone is still “considerable costs and risks”, the report says. The Ministry of Health under today’s department head Warken (CDU) distanced itself from the special report. Spahn is now head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group.

Razed pages and uncomfortable footnotes in the special report

Green Group Vice Andreas Audretch threw Spahn and Warken a lack of willingness to educate. “Jens Spahn and Nina Warken shy away from the holy water,” Audetsch told the Funke media group newspapers. With a view to the report of the special representatives, he criticized: “Five pages are completely blackened, seven more only half readable, the footnotes are made completely unrecognizable on a large part of the pages. Especially in the chapters on direct contracts with individual companies.” This is where transparency is needed.

The mask procurement is also said to be the subject of a current hour in the Bundestag’s plenary on Wednesday afternoon, which was requested by the left faction.

CSU politician Holetschek considers criticism of Spahn to be “lying”

Today’s CSU parliamentary group leader in the Bavarian state parliament, Klaus Holetschek, said that the criticism of Spahn’s procurement of mask was “fatalistic and lying” in the way it is presented. The former State Health Minister told the “Munich Merkur” that it excited him “insanely”, as was then dealt with with those who should have made courageous decisions in the crisis. “The same, which are now a moral authority, would also have raised their fingers if the procurement were too hesitant,” said Holetschek.

Spahn wants to “draw teaching for the future”

Spahn had justified his approach at the time. However, he welcomed the planned establishment of an Enquete Commission. “The processing of the pandemic should have started long ago,” he told the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. “The Enquete Commission will look at the topic in its entire width, this is the only way to teach sensibly teaching for the future,” said the CDU politician. “We were poorly prepared for pandemic,” he admitted. “This has led to avoidable mistakes.”