Jens Spahn, the former German health minister and current leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, was re-elected on Tuesday with a resounding 85% of the vote. Despite being only 45, Spahn has a tumultuous career marked by controversy, including a major scandal over COVID-19 mask procurement that allegedly cost taxpayers billions.

During the pandemic, Spahn's ministry allegedly used an 'open-house' process to order massive quantities of protective equipment, bypassing EU procurement rules. Millions of masks were reportedly defective, leading to lawsuits that could cost the state up to €3.5 billion. Additionally, his ministry purchased 570,000 FFP-2 masks from Burda, his husband's employer, raising conflict-of-interest concerns.

The German Federal Court of Audit sharply criticized the so-called 'mask affair,' and a special investigation concluded it cost the state billions. However, prosecutors dropped their investigation into Spahn in March 2025, supposedly exonerating him. He also faced scrutiny over a €4.1 million loan to buy a Berlin villa from a bank where he previously served on the administrative board.

Politically, Spahn has allegedly drifted to the right of the CDU. He criticized Merkel's refugee policy in 2015 and suggested suspending EU law to tackle illegal immigration in 2024. He also sparked backlash by proposing to treat the far-right AfD as a normal opposition party, though he later backtracked.

Spahn, who is openly gay, married Daniel Funke in 2017. He has been a Bundestag member since 2002 and held key posts including health minister. His main task now is to ensure the CDU/CSU's 208 MPs vote with the government, a challenge given the narrow majority. Whether he can become chancellor remains uncertain, but he is reportedly biding his time.

Source: www.dw.com