German CDU lawmaker Jens Spahn resigns leadership post over surrogate pregnancy controversy

Published Jul 18, 12:45 PM UTC

Jens Spahn, a prominent figure in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU party, resigned his leadership post as chairman of the party's parliamentary faction on Saturday amid controversy over his use of a surrogate mother in the United States, a practice banned in Germany. Spahn, who previously served as health minister under Angela Merkel and is known for his hardline stance on immigration, stated in a letter to colleagues that his personal happiness in starting a family with his husband was incompatible with his political office. The CDU recently voted to maintain Germany's ban on surrogacy at a party congress in February. Spahn's decision drew immediate criticism from within the party, including calls for resignation and charges of hypocrisy. Chancellor Merz declined to publicly weigh in but said the issue would be discussed by the party's national executive committee and saw no reason to change Germany's surrogacy laws. Surrogacy remains controversial across the EU, with most countries heavily restricting or prohibiting it.