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The Enquiry Commission as Theater: Dr. Susanne Wagenmann’s Gentle Criticism and the Suppressed Truths of the RKI Files

On June 11, 2026, Dr. Susanne Wagenmann, Head of the Social Security Department at the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), appeared before the Bundestag's COVID-19 Enquiry Commission. Her statements, as documented in the hearing video, appear factual and constructive at first glance—but upon closer examination, they reveal the deep divide between the official review process and the brutal reality of a government-orchestrated policy that disregarded science, the economy, and fundamental rights alike.

Who Is Dr. Susanne Wagenmann?

Dr. Susanne Wagenmann is an economist and has been an influential voice representing employers for many years. She headed the Social Security Department at the BDA and has been active in bodies such as the Administrative Board of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband). She represents the interests of business, not those of the critical public or independent scientists. During the pandemic, the BDA, with her involvement, adopted a pragmatic stance: companies invested in protective measures, called for coordination, and complained about bureaucracy—without fundamentally challenging the legitimacy of the measures themselves.

Throughout the pandemic years, Wagenmann primarily appeared as an advocate for business concerns: companies had invested heavily in protection, involved occupational physicians, and portrayed the economy as a pillar of crisis management. Public statements on mask mandates, lockdowns, or vaccine mandate-like regulations (2G/3G) were cautious; the focus was on pragmatic implementation and economic support measures. In the 2026 enquiry hearing, she repeated this pattern.

Her Statements on June 11, 2026 – Criticism with Velvet Gloves

In her statement before the commission, Wagenmann highlighted the severe economic damage: according to calculations by the IW Cologne, COVID-19 cost more than €350 billion in lost economic output. She praised businesses for investing in employee protection and for providing coordination amid fragmented state-level regulations. Her key demands were:

A uniform regulatory framework instead of a “patchwork of regulations.”
Involvement of associations and intermediary organizations (such as the BDA and statutory accident insurance institutions).
Strengthening digitalization in public administration and application processes.
Safeguarding mobility and freight transport, avoiding uncoordinated border closures, and establishing fast lanes for essential goods.
Pragmatic economic support measures and needs-based occupational health and safety policies.
Consideration of the entire supply chain in critical infrastructure (for example, glass manufacturers supplying pharmaceutical packaging).

She concluded: “From the perspective of German business, it is important that policymakers design policies transparently and consistently in such situations.” This sounds reasonable—but it is a devastating understatement of reality.

Comparison with the RKI Files and Leaked Documents: The Government Ignored Its Own Scientists

The RKI Files—internal crisis team minutes of the Robert Koch Institute, released through litigation and partially leaked—paint a damning picture. Policymaking was not evidence-based but driven by panic, ideology, and political power considerations. Many of the measures that Wagenmann merely criticizes as a “patchwork” simply lacked a solid professional foundation:

Masks and the General Population: The minutes repeatedly show that there was no evidence of a benefit from masks (including FFP2 masks) outside occupational safety settings for asymptomatic individuals. Nevertheless, mandates were imposed across the board—contrary to professional assessments.
Lockdowns and School Closures: “Lockdowns have, in some cases, more severe consequences than COVID itself.” Schools were not a major driver of infection. Nevertheless, politicians (Merkel, Söder, Spahn & others) opted for months of closures and hybrid schooling—with devastating consequences for children, education, and mental health.
“Pandemic of the Unvaccinated” and 2G/3G: The RKI reportedly considered the term professionally inaccurate—the entire population contributed to transmission. Privileges based on vaccination status were deemed “not professionally justifiable.” The government (Spahn, later Lauterbach) ignored this and deliberately divided society. Many vaccination-related records remain redacted.
Political Influence: The elevation of the risk assessment to “high” in March 2020 was not based purely on scientific considerations. There were indications of external (political) signals. Drosten reportedly even decided against publication of a study because it contradicted government policy. Internally, the RKI struggled with influence from the Federal Ministry of Health.

Against this backdrop, Wagenmann’s call for transparency and consistency appears cynical. The government deliberately created inconsistency—depending on the federal state, minister, and prevailing political mood—in order to exercise control. The patchwork was not a bug but a feature of an authoritarian approach to crisis management.

The Costs: Far More Than €350 Billion

The €350 billion in lost economic output is only the tip of the iceberg. Added to this are psychological harm, educational setbacks, business bankruptcies, inflation driven by debt-financed policies, a loss of trust in institutions, and a divided society. Companies did indeed invest in protective measures—often under compulsion and subject to questionable requirements (e.g., plexiglass barriers and testing regimes)—while the state poured billions into ineffective or harmful measures. The critical supply chains that Wagenmann refers to were endangered by uncoordinated policies rather than protected by them.

A Commission Without Genuine Accountability

Dr. Wagenmann’s contribution is typical of the enquiry process: mild warnings about the need for “better preparation,” praise for social partnership, but no fundamental reckoning with those responsible in Berlin. The RKI Files support what critics were already saying in 2020: the measures were excessive, disconnected from evidence, and in some cases unconstitutional. The government (CDU/SPD/Greens) sacrificed freedom, prosperity, and science on the altar of panic and the preservation of power.

Rather than merely drawing “lessons for the future,” there must be consequences: a full investigation of poor decisions, compensation for those affected, and an end to downplaying what occurred. The Enquiry Commission risks becoming a whitewashing exercise—while the files themselves suggest that Germany pursued one of the strictest and, at the same time, one of the most questionable COVID-19 policies in Europe. Transparency and consistency? The government systematically refused both. That is the real scandal.

Author: AI-Translation - АИИ |

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