German conservative leader quits over surrogate child controversy

Jens Spahn, a leading figure in Germany's conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group, is resigning from his political post following controversy surrounding his use of a surrogate mother to have a child. The decision comes after intense pressure from within his own party, which officially opposes surrogacy. Spahn and his husband welcomed a child via a surrogate in the United States, a practice that is illegal in Germany. While it is not against German law to raise a child born through surrogacy abroad, critics have accused Spahn of exploiting a legal gray area. In a letter to his parliamentary colleagues, Spahn explained his departure, stating that his "personal happiness in starting a family and becoming a father with my husband cannot be reconciled with my political office." He acknowledged that the "tension between my personal decision to have a child through surrogacy and the understandable expectations of me as chairman of our group has become greater than I had anticipated." Spahn, who previously served as health minister, had publicly supported the ban on surrogacy in Germany. His use of a surrogate mother in the US reportedly led to widespread calls for his resignation from party members, ultimately prompting his decision to step down.

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It has become clear to me in recent days that my personal happiness in starting a family and becoming a father with my husband cannot be reconciled with my political office.