Politics & Governance
Jens Spahn resigns CDU leadership post after surrogacy controversy
Jens Spahn, a senior figure in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU, resigned his leadership post after criticism over his use of a surrogate mother in the United States, party sources said.
Spahn, who chaired the CDU faction in parliament, wrote in a letter to colleagues that he had come to see his personal happiness in starting a family with his husband and becoming a father as incompatible with his political office.
Surrogate pregnancy is banned in Germany. The CDU strongly opposes the practice and most recently voted at a party congress in February to maintain the ban. Spahn and his husband recently became parents to a child through a surrogate mother in the United States.
The decision drew criticism within the CDU after German media reported it on Thursday, including calls for Spahn to step down and accusations of hypocrisy from other politicians. Spahn defended himself in a podcast interview with Bild on Friday, saying he had struggled with the issue of surrogacy for a long time before deciding to have a child that way.
Merz declined on Friday to comment publicly on Spahn's decision, but said the matter would be discussed by the party's national executive committee. He also said he saw no reason to change Germany's surrogacy laws or the CDU's long-held opposition.
Spahn, 46, previously served as health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic under former chancellor Angela Merkel. In recent years, he has been a prominent voice on the CDU's right wing, including on immigration policy.
Update
Jens Spahn resigned his CDU parliamentary faction leadership post amid the surrogacy controversy.
In a letter to colleagues, Spahn said his family decision had become incompatible with his political office.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he saw no reason to change Germany's surrogacy law or the CDU's opposition to the practice.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 July 2026 at 12:09:17 UTC.
Update
Spahn defended his decision in a Bild podcast and said he had wrestled with the issue for a long time.
Spahn said only the CDU parliamentary group could decide his future as faction head.
Daniel Peters, the CDU leader in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, urged Spahn to resign as head of the parliamentary group.
Hubert Hueppe, head of the CDU's group for older members, said he was personally shocked by Spahn's decision.
Sources close to Spahn told Focus that US rules aimed at protecting women were important in the couple's decision.
Sophie Koch, the German government's commissioner for queer issues, said many queer people want children but that she did not think commercial surrogacy was the right way.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 July 2026 at 18:16:54 UTC.
Update
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he saw no need to change Germany's surrogacy ban or the CDU's opposition to surrogacy.
Merz said the matter would be discussed at the next CDU national executive committee meeting.
Daniel Peters, the CDU leader in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, called for Spahn to resign as parliamentary group chairman.
Hubert Hueppe, head of the CDU group for older members, said he was personally shocked by Spahn's decision and raised concerns about whether women are being instrumentalised.
Bild reported that the surrogate was about four months pregnant when the CDU last voted in February to maintain Germany's surrogacy ban.
Sources close to Spahn told Focus that US regulations intended to protect women were a decisive factor in the couple's decision.
Sophie Koch, the government's commissioner for queer issues, said many queer people want children but that she did not think commercial surrogacy was the right way.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 July 2026 at 14:56:36 UTC.
Source
AFP news report published on .