Jens Spahn Resigns as CDU/CSU Parliamentary Leader Over Surrogacy Issue

Jens Spahn, chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, has resigned from his post amid significant pressure related to his fatherhood through a surrogate in the United States. Spahn announced his decision in a letter to his parliamentary group, stating that his personal happiness in starting a family with his husband is incompatible with his political role.

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My family is the most important thing to me.

"The gap between my private decision for a child through surrogacy and the justifiable expectations of me as chairman of our group has become larger than I had anticipated," Spahn wrote in his resignation letter. He thanked his colleagues for their trust and cooperation, acknowledging the support from Alexander Hoffmann, the entire parliamentary executive board, and Matthias Miersch.

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The gap between my private decision for a child through surrogacy and the justifiable expectations of me as chairman of our group has become larger than I had anticipated.

Spahn expressed that the "increasing intensity of public debate" had made him reflective. He urged for continued humaneness in tone amidst clarity and decisiveness on issues, characterizing this as a hallmark of the center-right Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union parties. "One thing has become increasingly clear to me in recent days: my family is the most important thing to me," he concluded, thanking everyone for their work over the past 14 months.

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The increasing intensity of public debate has made me very reflective.