Jens Spahn Resigns as CDU Chair Over US Surrogacy, Ending 46-Year-Old's Defense of Ban
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 18
Jens Spahn Resigns as CDU Chair Over US Surrogacy, Ending 46-Year-Old's Defense of Ban
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 18
Summary
Saturday's resignation came after Jens Spahn said fatherhood with his husband had become incompatible with his political office, ending days of pressure over their use of a US surrogate.
Critics inside and outside the CDU accused the 46-year-old of hypocrisy because he had defended Germany's surrogacy ban as health minister and the party reaffirmed that stance in February.
Germany's 1990 Embryo Protection Act bans surrogacy at home, with penalties of up to three years in prison or a fine, pushing some couples to seek arrangements abroad.
Friedrich Merz, who had deferred comment until a party executive meeting, called Spahn's exit "right and inevitable," underscoring the CDU's focus on political credibility.