Jens Spahn Resigns Following Surrogacy Scandal

Jens Spahn, the leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, has announced his resignation. He made the decision following a wave of criticism over the fact that he and his husband became parents through a surrogate mother. In his statement, Span said he was stepping down because his family life and political work had come into conflict.

“My family is the most important thing to me,” the politician wrote in a letter to his colleagues. Earlier, it was reported that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who also represents the CDU, had called on Span to step down as parliamentary group leader.

The reason was a scandal surrounding surrogacy

Criticism of Spahn arose because he and his husband, Daniel Funke, used the services of a surrogate mother in the United States. In Germany, this practice is prohibited by law. The situation caused a particular stir due to Span’s previous stance on the issue. In the past, he had spoken out against certain models of surrogacy.

After it became known that his child was born through surrogacy, the politician began to face accusations of a contradiction between his past statements and his personal decision. According to Spahn, he did not expect this issue to provoke such a strong reaction. “The gap between my personal decision to have a child through surrogacy and the expectations placed on me as the leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group turned out to be greater than I had anticipated,” he noted.

Schpan Chose His Family

In a letter to lawmakers, the politician explained that recent events had forced him to rethink his priorities. “One thing has become increasingly clear to me over the past few days: my family is what matters most to me,” Spahn wrote. He also thanked the members of the parliamentary group for their collaboration and support.

Jens Spahn was one of the most prominent CDU politicians and had long been considered a potential contender for influential positions in German politics. He served as Germany’s health minister in Angela Merkel’s previous government and, following the elections, became head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag.

His resignation has become yet another challenge for Germany’s ruling coalition, which must now select a new parliamentary group leader. This was reported by *Spiegel*, which reviewed the politician’s letter to the members of the parliamentary group.