Jens Spahn (46) is drawing consequences from the controversial debate surrounding his family expansion through surrogacy in the United States. The chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group announced his resignation from office on Saturday. The CDU politician cited the growing conflict between his private decision and the expectations of his political role as the reason.
In a letter to the parliamentary group, which was obtained by "Der Spiegel" among others, Spahn explained that he had come to realize that his personal happiness in starting a family was incompatible with his position as parliamentary group chairman.
"My family is the most important thing to me"
"The divide between my private decision to have a child through surrogacy and the understandable expectations of me as chairman of our parliamentary group" had become greater than he had anticipated, Spahn wrote.
Furthermore, the increasing intensity of the public debate had made him thoughtful. He appealed for respectful conduct in political disputes: "Let us always remain humane in tone, even while being clear and decisive on the issues."
In recent days, one thing had become particularly clear to him: "My family is the most important thing to me."
Spahn informed the party leaders of the CDU and CSU, Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder, about his resignation according to his own statements, and thanked them for the trust they had shown him.
Sharp criticism over surrogacy - including from his own ranks
Jens Spahn announced last week that he and his husband Daniel Funke had become parents of a son through surrogacy in the United States. In Germany, surrogacy remains prohibited. The CDU had reaffirmed this position in February through a party convention resolution. It states that surrogacy remains "unconditionally prohibited, regardless of motivation".
The fact that Spahn himself used surrogacy despite this party line caused criticism within the Union. Opponents accused him of damaging the party's credibility, while supporters emphasized that a distinction must be made between a political stance on legislation and a personal life decision.
Recently, pressure on Spahn increased significantly. Several Union politicians demanded consequences, including the CDU state chairman of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The CDU local association of Brilon, Friedrich Merz's home district, also criticized Spahn's actions as damaging to the party's credibility and called for his resignation.
For Spahn, the surrogacy debate is not the first controversy of his political career. Previously, his contacts with US investor Peter Thiel and the so-called "mask affair" during the coronavirus pandemic, among other things, drew criticism of the CDU politician.
