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German CDU lawmaker Jens Spahn resigns leadership post over surrogate pregnancy controversy
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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.
Source report
Berlin — A prominent figure in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s centre-right party resigned his leadership post Saturday, party sources told AFP, amid controversy over his use of a surrogate mother in the United States despite a ban on the practice in Germany.
Jens Spahn, the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) faction in parliament, announced his resignation in a letter to colleagues obtained by AFP.
“In recent days, I have come to realise that my personal happiness in starting a family with my husband and becoming a father is incompatible with my political office,” Spahn wrote.
Party Stance on Surrogacy
Spahn and Merz’s CDU party is vehemently opposed to surrogate pregnancies, having most recently voted to maintain Germany’s ban at a party congress in February.
Spahn and his husband recently became parents to a child by using a surrogate mother in the United States. That decision immediately attracted criticism from within the CDU after the news broke in the German press on Thursday, including calls for Spahn to resign, as well as charges of hypocrisy from other politicians.
Spahn’s Defense
Spahn had sought to defend himself in a podcast interview with the Bild newspaper on Friday. He said he had “wrestled with myself for a long time, including on the issue of surrogacy” before finally deciding to have a child that way.
Chancellor’s Response
Merz declined to weigh in publicly on Spahn’s decision on Friday but said that the issue would be discussed by the party’s national executive committee. The chancellor also said he saw “no reason” to change Germany’s laws on surrogacy or to alter the CDU’s longstanding opposition.
Background
Spahn, 46, previously served as health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic under former Chancellor Angela Merkel. In recent years, he has become a prominent voice on the CDU’s right-wing flank, notably pushing for a more hardline stance on immigration.
Surrogacy in Europe
Surrogacy remains controversial, and most EU countries heavily restrict or prohibit it. That has led some citizens, including LGBTQ+ couples and heterosexual couples facing infertility, to seek surrogacy arrangements abroad.
Italy expanded its ban in 2024, making it illegal for those who pursue surrogacy abroad. In France, however, the country’s top court recently ruled that it should recognise children born through surrogacy abroad, even though the country bans commercial surrogacy itself.
Emma Pirnay contributed reporting.
Source
EuractivWestern
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German politician Jens Spahn faces resignation calls over US surrogacy hypocrisy