German Minister of Health Jens Spahn.

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Michael Kappeler / AP / SIPA

Angela Merkel's government had to face this Sunday new press revelations concerning the controversial purchase of anti-Covid masks and this time involving her Minister of Health, already at the center of criticism for his management of the pandemic.

Conservative Minister Jens Spahn had his services bought in the spring of 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of masks via the German media group Burda, for which her husband Daniel Funke works, according to documents from the ministry transmitted to the Chamber of Deputies, reports the weekly Der Spiegel.

The mask falls

The ministry's order for 570,000 FFP2 masks "could create conflicts of interest" as the minister's husband "works as a lobbyist and director of Burda's representative office in Berlin," writes the weekly.

The ministry dismissed these suspicions.

The contract did take place but "was concluded and processed after receipt of the offer using a standardized procedure at market prices," assured a spokesperson.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD), yet minority partners of the conservatives within the government coalition, called on the Minister of Health to “explain himself”, demanding the appointment of an “independent” expert.

"This salami tactic" of the Ministry of Health concerning the dissemination of "information related to the purchase of masks" weakens confidence in democratic institutions, it must stop, "added one of the vice-chairmen of the SPD parliamentary group. to the Chamber of Deputies, Achim Post, on Twitter.

New scandal?

At the rate of 1.73 dollars (1.60 euros) invoiced per mask, the ministry ultimately paid 909,000 euros to Burda, who had advanced the sum to a supplier in China.

The German press editor said he had sent the entire sum to the Asian supplier, without commission in the process.

Even if the minister or her husband are not here accused of having enriched themselves, this affair comes at a sensitive time.

The conservative camp of Minister and Chancellor Angela Merkel has been shaken for several weeks by a scandal relating to commissions received by elected officials of the movement during the purchase of masks, as well as by other suspicions of enrichment.

These cases contributed to two stinging electoral setbacks by the CDU in regional elections last Sunday.

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