German conservative leader resigns after surrogacy backlash
Jens Spahn left a senior parliamentary post after he and his husband became parents through a surrogate in the United States.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Jens Spahn, a senior figure in Germany’s governing conservatives, resigned from a powerful parliamentary post after criticism over his decision to have a child through surrogacy, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters. The case matters politically because Spahn’s party has supported Germany’s ban on surrogacy, including in a vote earlier this year.
Spahn, 46, had led the parliamentary group for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union and its sister party, the Christian Social Union. Al Jazeera reported that he stepped down on Saturday after members of his own party urged him to leave the job.
The resignation followed reports on Thursday that Spahn and his husband had become parents through a surrogate mother in the United States, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters. The news drew criticism from conservative colleagues and accusations of hypocrisy from opposition politicians, Al Jazeera reported.
In a resignation letter to party colleagues, Spahn wrote: “Over the past few days, I have come to realise that my personal happiness – starting a family with my husband and becoming a father – is incompatible with my political office.”
A powerful post in Merz’s government
Spahn’s departure removes one of Merz’s closest allies from a key position, according to Al Jazeera. As leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Spahn was responsible for helping ensure that the chancellor’s government had enough votes to pass its programme.
Al Jazeera described the post as one of the most influential jobs in German politics. Spahn’s role placed him at the centre of Merz’s effort to manage legislation through parliament.
Surrogacy is illegal in Germany, though German law allows parents to raise a child born to a surrogate abroad, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters. The CDU voted in February to maintain the ban, Al Jazeera reported.
Spahn addressed the issue publicly before his resignation. He told Bild on Friday that he had “wrestled with myself for a long time, including on the issue of surrogacy,” according to Al Jazeera.
Merz says resignation was unavoidable
Merz said Spahn’s choice to resign was “right and unavoidable,” according to Al Jazeera. The chancellor also praised Spahn’s role in helping bring the CDU back into government.
Merz did not publicly attack Spahn, according to Al Jazeera. He said, however, that “credibility is the most valuable asset in politics.”
The chancellor also said he saw “no reason” to alter the CDU’s position on surrogacy and that the party would discuss the episode, Al Jazeera reported.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.