Above all, the parliamentary processing of the procurement of masks has shown how great the confusion was in the authorities at the beginning of the pandemic. The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder was relieved on an important point.
If Markus Söder had his way, this investigative committee could have been saved. Nothing new has been learned, says the prime minister, who appeared as the last witness on Friday. What Söder accounts for, others had predicted from the outset: What else should come out of it? When the U-Committee started, the public prosecutor’s office was investigating the CSU politicians Alfred Sauter and Georg Nüßlein. In addition, U-committees have a reputation for producing political spectacle rather than real news. This does not apply to the sub-committee “Mask”. It’s good that he existed. Not because he brought to light the felt in the CSU, which was known from the Sauter case. But the committee revealed the structures in which this felt could unfold in an exceptional situation.
To speak of a “system” would be too high, Söder is right. System and chaos are mutually exclusive, and the chaos in the authorities was great, which brings us to a key finding. The U-Committee revealed how overwhelmed the health authorities were with the procurement of the masks, at least at the beginning of the pandemic. These are important insights to better prepare for future emergencies. The naivety of the then Minister of Health, Melanie Huml, was also revealed. And the U-Committee did reveal that the wires were short, especially for those who had such contacts.
No, the committee was not able to clarify all the questions. But some questions would have remained unanswered without a committee. The investigation in court has failed, the investigations against Sauter and Nüßlein have been discontinued. For example this question, which was circulating mainly on the internet: Did Söder also want to enrich himself? After everything that the U-Committee brought to light, this suspicion can be considered dispelled. So Söder can be happy that the committee existed.