Surrogacy debate: TV host says Spahn was 'no longer tenable' as parliamentary leader

German television moderator Bettina Böttinger has stated that Jens Spahn's resignation as the leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group was a logical consequence of his actions regarding surrogacy. Böttinger argued that Spahn, having consistently opposed surrogacy, could no longer credibly lead his parliamentary group after becoming a parent through this method in the United States.

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As group leader, he was no longer tenable.

"As group leader, he was no longer tenable," Böttinger told journalists in Düsseldorf. She believes Spahn misjudged the political fallout within his own party, particularly given his long career in politics. "He has to see that this cannot work in his faction," she said, questioning whether Spahn truly anticipated the political storm his personal decision would create.

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He has to see that this cannot work in his faction.

Böttinger, however, stopped short of suggesting Spahn should also resign his seat in the Bundestag. She expressed puzzlement that a seasoned politician like Spahn, who has dedicated his life to politics, could miscalculate the political impact of his family situation. "Is it really the case that the private for him in his middle years is so much more important than the political, his political ambitions?" she pondered, leaving these questions open.

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Is it really the case that the private for him in his middle years is so much more important than the political, his political ambitions?

Adding another layer to the controversy, Böttinger criticized what she described as a "homophobic undertone" in the public debate surrounding Spahn and his husband, Daniel Funke. The couple announced the birth of their son, Georg, via a surrogate mother in the U.S., a practice prohibited in Germany, a law Spahn himself supported within the CDU. The announcement triggered significant backlash within the conservative party, ultimately leading to Spahn's resignation.

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homophobic undertone