Jens Spahn, a senior German politician and ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, resigned as chair of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on Saturday.
His resignation followed intense criticism over using a surrogate mother in the United States to have a child, a practice prohibited under German law.
Spahn and his husband, Daniel Funke, welcomed their child on Wednesday.
The news drew accusations of hypocrisy from political colleagues, as Spahn had historically opposed surrogacy and the CDU maintained its domestic ban during a party conference in February.
Spahn initially announced the birth to the German newspaper Bild, expressing his joy. “Georg is our greatest joy.
This feeling is almost impossible to put into words,” he said.
Party members quickly condemned the contradiction.
“Politicians who set standards for others must be measured by them too,” said Marion Rosin, a Christian Democrat in Thuringia and part of the Women’s Union.
“If that credibility is gone, resignation is a matter of consequence.”
Under Germany’s 1990 Embryo Protection Act, surrogacy carries a penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine.
Many couples seek surrogacy abroad to avoid legal restrictions.
Spahn defended his decision, noting it followed long personal deliberation. “I wrestled with myself for a long time, including on the issue of surrogacy,” he said.
Regional party leaders, however, strongly criticized him.
“Jens Spahn is no longer tenable as chair of the parliamentary group and must resign,” said Daniel Peters, CDU leader in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
He called the situation “completely unacceptable.”
Party health spokesperson Janosch Dahmen emphasized the damage to political credibility.
“Anyone who advocates for rules politically should be able to explain clearly why those rules apparently do not apply to them personally,” he said.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz initially withheld comment, deferring to an upcoming executive meeting.
Spahn reaffirmed his commitment to his family, stating, “One thing is clear to me: For me, and this becomes clearer to me every hour, there is nothing more important than my family.”
On Saturday, Spahn formalized his resignation, acknowledging the conflict between private life and public duties.
“In recent days, I have come to realize that my personal happiness in starting a family with my husband and becoming a father is incompatible with my political office,” he said.
Merz publicly supported the decision on social media, calling it “right and inevitable. Credibility is the most valuable asset in politics.”
