Jens Spahn resigns as CDU parliamentary group chief over US surrogacy scandal
Jens Spahn, the 46‑year‑old leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, announced his resignation on 18 July 2026. He said that his personal happiness – founding a family with his husband Daniel Funke and becoming a father – was incompatible with his political office. The couple’s son was born in the United States by a surrogate mother, a practice that is prohibited in Germany and opposed by the CDU, which reaffirmed the ban at its February party congress.
The revelation sparked intense criticism within the party and calls for Spahn to step down. Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the resignation “right and inevitable,” stressing that credibility is the most valuable asset in politics. The CDU described the move as a “necessary step” and began looking for a successor before Merz’s July vacation. Potential candidates mentioned include Chancellor’s office chief Thorsten Frei, party secretary Carsten Linnemann, interior minister Alexander Dobrindt and others.
Spahn’s departure opens a leadership contest that could reshape the Union’s parliamentary strategy ahead of regional elections in Saxony‑Anhalt, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern and Berlin, while opposition parties use the episode to highlight perceived double standards.