BERLIN — Jens Spahn, the parliamentary leader of Germany's conservative CDU/CSU bloc and a senior ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, resigned on Saturday after mounting pressure over his decision to become a parent through surrogacy in the United States, a move that conflicted with his party's long-standing opposition to the practice.
Spahn announced his decision in a letter to members of the parliamentary group, saying he had concluded that "my personal happiness — starting a family with my husband and becoming a father — is incompatible with my political office." Reuters reviewed the letter.
The controversy erupted after reports that Spahn and his husband had welcomed a child through a surrogate mother in the United States. While surrogacy is prohibited in Germany, raising a child born through a surrogate abroad is not illegal under German law.
The issue nevertheless drew criticism because the Christian Democratic Union reaffirmed its opposition to surrogacy at its party conference in February. Several members of the party argued that Spahn's private decision was inconsistent with the CDU's publicly stated position and called for his resignation.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Spahn's resignation was the appropriate course of action, according to German media reports, stressing the importance of political credibility.
Spahn, 46, has been one of the CDU's most prominent politicians, previously serving as Germany's health minister and later leading the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag. His resignation leaves the governing conservative alliance searching for a new parliamentary leader at a time when it faces political challenges ahead of upcoming regional elections.
The case has renewed debate in Germany over surrogacy, which remains banned under national law. Supporters of the prohibition argue it protects women and children from exploitation, while critics have called for a broader discussion of reproductive rights and the legal status of families formed through surrogacy abroad. The Merz government has indicated it does not plan to change existing legislation.
Spahn remains a member of the Bundestag. As of Saturday, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group had not announced a successor or a timetable for selecting new leadership.
