Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). / picture alliance, Kay Nietfeld
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Berlin – SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz has avoided a clear resignation from Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) – in contrast to the SPD leadership, who demanded exactly this in the dispute over the distribution of allegedly less tested corona masks.
“I say that there are now questions to be answered,” said Federal Finance Minister Scholz yesterday in the ARD-Broadcast Maischberger. The week. Despite repeated requests, he did not ask Spahn to resign. There had previously been sharp attacks from the SPD leadership with specific calls for the health minister to resign.
Spahn had previously shown disappointment from the coalition partner through the public debate and said that partners apologize for getting lost. In this case, however, that is not to be expected.
Scholz now said that he saw no reason for an apology and supported Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD). He made sure that in every case it was ensured that only masks corresponding to the correct standards were distributed. “I think that has to be said explicitly, the minister of labor acted correctly.”
In return, CSU boss Markus Söder put pressure on SPD Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil in the matter. “If the allegations are not correct, (…) it would have to be discussed whether Hubertus Heil can still remain in office,” said the Bavarian Prime Minister also in the ARD-Broadcast.
Söder emphasized that he could not judge whether the allegations were true, but he nevertheless trusted the assessment of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), who had clearly supported Spahn.
The background to the debate is a Spiegel-Report on handling allegedly inferior corona masks ordered in China. According to the plans of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) Masks that have not been tested to high standards go to facilities for people with disabilities or for the homeless. After an intervention by the SPD-led Ministry of Labor, this was refrained from. Spahn had rejected the allegations, and calls for resignation came from the top of the SPD.
Söder said that the current coalition dispute three months before the general election was also disappointing him personally. First of all, the conversation should have been sought within the government instead of conducting the dispute as publicly as it is now. He was surprised by the way he was treated and was also a “heavy burden”, not only for current government work, but also for future cooperation. © dpa / afp / aha / aerzteblatt.de
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