Top German conservative quits after surrogacy sparks backlash within party

A high-ranking politician in Germany’s governing conservative coalition has resigned from his position after having a baby through a surrogate mother, a move at odds with his own party.

Jens Spahn, 46, the parliamentary leader of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrat party and its sister Christian ‌Social Union (CDU/CSU), stepped down from his role on Saturday after calls from within his own party for him to quit.

News that Spahn and his husband had become parents through a surrogate in the United States broke on Thursday, leading to criticism from his fellow conservatives and accusations of hypocrisy from the opposition.

“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,” Spahn wrote in his resignation letter to party colleagues.

His exit strips Merz of one of his closest allies.

As parliamentary leader of the Christian Democrats, Spahn’s job was to make sure Merz’s government had the votes to pass its agenda, making it one of the most powerful roles in German politics.

The practice of surrogacy is banned in Germany, though it is legal for prospective parents to raise a child born to a surrogate abroad.

Spahn’s party voted to sustain the ban as recently as February.

Spahn defended himself before German media on Friday, telling the Bild newspaper he had “wrestled with myself for a long time, including on the issue of surrogacy”.

Merz said that Spahn’s decision to step down was “right and unavoidable”.

While crediting Spahn with helping the CDU return to power, he added, “Credibility is the most valuable asset in politics.”

The chancellor avoided publicly criticising his ally, but said he saw “no reason” to change his party’s stance on surrogacy and said the CDU would discuss the incident.