Jens Spahn, a senior leader and key ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has resigned as chair of the Christian Democrat (CDU) party. The resignation follows the announcement that Spahn and his husband, Daniel Funke, welcomed a child born through a surrogate mother in the United States.
The decision has sparked widespread criticism and accusations of hypocrisy, as surrogacy is banned in Germany and the CDU strongly opposes its legalization. Spahn had previously criticized the practice of rented wombs and refused to relax the national ban when he served as health minister in 2020.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the resignation as the right and unavoidable move. Merz stated that credibility is the highest asset in politics, as Spahn steps down amid mounting pressure over the double standards regarding his use of a surrogate mother.