Strengthening Europe’s Health Capacity

In his address to the IIEA, Minister Spahn considers attempts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic as a European effort. The pandemic has brought a range of issues to the fore for Europe’s health sector – from health data to calls for greater self-sufficiency in manufacturing – and has also proven to be a significant test of cooperation and cohesion among Member States. As Germany currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU at a crucial moment in both national and EU efforts to suppress the virus, Minister Spahn reflects on lessons learned to date in managing the pandemic as well as their implications for EU public health policy.

About the Speaker:

Jens Spahn MdB was appointed German Federal Minister for Health in 2018 and has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2002, when he was first elected at the age of 22. Prior to his role as Minister for Health, he held a variety of positions including Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Ministry for Finance and Speaker for Health Politics of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Minister Spahn holds a Master’s degree in Political Science.