World · 18 July 2026
German CDU leader Jens Spahn resigns over surrogacy row
Photo: boellstiftung (CC BY SA 2.0)
Jens Spahn, a senior German politician, resigned on Saturday as parliamentary group leader of the governing coalition after facing accusations of hypocrisy. He and his husband used a surrogate mother in the US to have a child, a practice banned in Germany and opposed by his Christian Democrat party. Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Spahn's decision "right" and "inevitable", citing credibility as vital in politics.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs