A confidential report on former German Health Minister Jens Spahn's procurement of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked intense political scrutiny. The report, initially heavily redacted and only accessible to select parliamentarians, reveals allegations of excessive spending, lack of proper demand assessment, and questionable dealings with suppliers, including the Swiss company Emix. The German Federal Audit Office reported that the Health Ministry spent approximately 5.9 billion euros on 5.8 billion masks by 2024, with only 1.7 billion distributed domestically. Spahn has faced accusations of causing financial damage estimated at around 11 billion euros and allegations of personal enrichment, which he denies, calling the claims defamatory. The report also indicates that Spahn’s successor, Health Minister Nina Warken, was involved in redacting critical sections of the document, leading to further controversy and accusations of attempted cover-up. Opposition parties, including the Greens and the Left, have called for a parliamentary investigation committee, while Spahn advocates for a broader Enquete Commission to assess the pandemic response. The Bundestag has since approved the establishment of an Enquete Commission to comprehensively investigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its social impacts, with a final report expected by 2027. The unfolding mask procurement scandal continues to challenge the CDU/CSU bloc, with internal party figures like CDU leader Friedrich Merz providing some support to Spahn amid mounting pressure from opposition and public criticism.