In Germany, masks have been one of the least controversial elements of this pandemic. Most people have accepted that they have to be worn in the supermarket or on public transportation. But now these items of PPE are at the centre of a full-throttle political scandal that risks badly damaging Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats in this important election year.
The Christian Democrats Georg Nüßlein and Nikolas Löbel are accused of profiting from government deals to purchase face masks. Löbel is alleged to have received £200,000 in payments as part of a state purchase of masks, while Nüßlein is accused of making £500,000 through a consultancy firm. Both politicians have denied the allegations but have announced that they will step down as members of parliament, while Munich’s attorney general has begun an investigation into Nüßlein.
The entire affair has launched a widespread debate over whether the party has a particular problem with lobbying and cronyism.
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