Surrogacy Secret Forces Jens Spahn Out of Top Union Post After 14 Months
Published on 07/20/2026 at 03:52 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
The German conservative Union bloc faces a leadership vacuum after its parliamentary group leader abruptly resigned Saturday, undone by a private family decision that directly contradicted party doctrine. Jens Spahn stepped down when it became clear that his use of a surrogate mother in the United States—a practice his own party has repeatedly condemned—had shattered his credibility with colleagues.
Spahn and his husband, Daniel Funke, became parents to a son with the help of a surrogate in the US. In Germany, surrogacy is banned. The Union’s party congress had reaffirmed its opposition to the practice as recently as February, and the women's wing had doubled down on that stance days before the resignation. Spahn himself had voiced criticism of surrogacy in 2015.
That contradiction between personal action and party line proved fatal. Chancellor Friedrich Merz demanded Spahn’s resignation after a wave of internal criticism, telling reporters that “the Union’s credibility on this fundamental principle is the highest good.” Spahn, 44, wrote in his resignation letter that his personal family happiness was currently incompatible with the demands of his political office. “Family comes first for me,” he said.
The crisis erupted with startling speed. On 15 July, media first reported the surrogacy. The next day, the Union’s women’s wing reiterated its firm opposition. On 17 July, the CDU state chair of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Daniel Peters, publicly called for consequences; Spahn defended himself in a podcast but admitted he had long struggled with the compatibility question. After consulting regional party leaders on 18 July, Merz demanded the resignation—and Spahn complied the same day.
Critics within the Union, as well as from the Greens and the Left Party, called the move overdue.
Until a successor is elected, CSU regional group leader Alexander Hoffmann will lead the parliamentary group on an interim basis. Merz announced in a ZDF summer interview that he wants to decide on a permanent replacement before his planned vacation at the end of July. The chancellor did not rule out a broader cabinet reshuffle.
The frontrunner is chief of staff Thorsten Frei. Other names circulating include Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), Carsten Linnemann, GĂĽnter Krings, and Nina Warken.
The leadership change comes at a delicate moment for the Union. Current polling places the bloc at just 21% in the Sunday trend—well behind the far-right AfD. Resolving the succession quickly is seen as essential to signal stability within the governing coalition.
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