A major political scandal has erupted in Germany concerning the origins of the coronavirus. According to Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung, German authorities likely knew about the lab-origin theory of the virus as early as the beginning of the pandemic but chose to hide this information from the public.
In 2020, the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) received information supporting the theory that COVID-19 may have originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Based on open sources, scientific research, and a secret operation, the BND concluded that the probability of the virus originating from a lab is between 80-95%. Despite this, the information was not disclosed to the public or to parliament.
The investigation revealed that the information was passed through several high-ranking officials, including Chancellor’s Office Minister Helge Braun and, presumably, Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, despite the significance of the conclusion, the government decided not to release the data, leading to public outrage.
Vice President of the Bundestag, Wolfgang Kubicki, stated that this concealment of information is “one of the biggest scandals in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany” and will undermine public trust in the government. Kubicki demanded full transparency on the matter and accountability for everyone involved in withholding the information.
On March 13, 2025, this issue was discussed at a closed session of the parliamentary oversight committee. There are calls for the government to declassify the BND report and clarify who was informed and what actions were taken regarding China.
Additionally, members of the Bundestag are strongly urging the publication of the investigation into the virus’s origins, which continues to cause a major public debate.
