Jens Spahn resigns as German CDU/CSU parliamentary leader over surrogacy controversy

Chancellor Friedrich Merz described Spahn's resignation as "right" and "inevitable," emphasizing that "credibility is the highest asset in politics." Merz indicated he would begin the process of appointing a replacement.

Surrogacy is prohibited in Germany under the 1990 Embryo Protection Act, a policy backed by Spahn's Christian Democrat party (CDU), which he himself had supported. Critics, including some within his own party, pointed to Spahn's past opposition to legalizing surrogacy and his previous statements finding the idea of a "rented womb" personally difficult, accusing him of hypocrisy and double standards. However, raising a child born to a surrogate mother abroad is not penalized in Germany.

Alexander Hoffmann, head of the Christian Social Union parliamentary group, will assume Spahn's duties until a successor is chosen. Hoffmann stated that Spahn's decision "deserves the utmost respect."