BERLIN—Senior German conservative politician Jens Spahn resigned on Saturday after facing mounting pressure over his decision to become a parent through a surrogate mother in the United States, a move that conflicted with his party's long-standing opposition to surrogacy.
Spahn, 46, stepped down as parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), according to a resignation letter seen by Reuters.
The controversy erupted after Spahn and his husband announced they had welcomed a son born through a surrogate in the United States. Although German law prohibits surrogacy arrangements within the country, raising a child born through a surrogate abroad is not illegal.
In his resignation letter, Spahn said he had concluded that his personal decision to start a family was incompatible with his political responsibilities.
"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," he wrote.
The CDU reaffirmed its opposition to surrogacy at a party conference in February, voting to maintain support for Germany's existing ban. Following news of Spahn's family, several members of his own party publicly questioned whether he could continue leading the parliamentary group.
Daniel Peters, head of the CDU in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, was among those calling for Spahn to step down, arguing that senior party leaders should uphold the standards endorsed by the party.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had described the issue as one involving complex legal, ethical and social questions while saying he saw no reason to change Germany's current law on surrogacy.
The case has renewed debate in Germany over surrogacy, which remains prohibited under national law. Several other European countries, including France, Spain and Italy, also maintain restrictions or bans on the practice, though their legal frameworks differ.
Spahn's resignation removes one of Chancellor Merz's closest political allies from a key leadership role and leaves the CDU/CSU parliamentary group to begin the process of selecting a successor. No replacement had been officially announced as of Saturday.
