Jens Spahn relinquishes Bundestag Budget Committee seat following faction dispute over Sardinia trip

Resignation from the Budget Committee

Former CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn has stepped down from his seat on the Bundestag Budget Committee. The 46-year-old politician announced the decision on 28 September 2026 after conferring with colleagues. Spahn communicated his withdrawal through a message sent to the WhatsApp group of Christian Democratic budget lawmakers following deliberations over the weekend. In the communication, Spahn stated that intense public and political scrutiny surrounding his position made regular committee responsibilities unfeasible. His parliamentary office in Berlin confirmed the resignation shortly thereafter. The withdrawal marks his second high-profile step back within the Union faction in two months.

After careful consideration over the weekend, I will give up my seat on the Budget Committee. Everything surrounding my person is currently so politicized that normal work will hardly be possible.

Backlash over Sardinia travel

The withdrawal follows internal controversy triggered by Spahn's absence during a parliamentary session week in Berlin. Lawmakers noted that Spahn missed two scheduled commitments, failing to attend proceedings in the plenary and the Budget Committee on Wednesday and Thursday. Friction intensified when a photograph surfaced in Bild depicting Spahn holding his infant son at an airport on the Italian island of Sardinia. Committee members in Berlin first learned of the report while the budget panel was actively in session. Bild later retracted the image, acknowledging that the photograph was taken in a private setting and had violated the publication's editorial guidelines. Spahn defended his absence by citing family obligations and an illness affecting his child, with his representatives stating that a parliamentary proxy had been arranged in advance according to established Bundestag procedures.

Faction disputes and working group debate

The revelations prompted an internal confrontation among conservative lawmakers before the weekend. On Friday, the 14-member CDU/CSU parliamentary budget working group convened for an extraordinary meeting to address Spahn's status. During the session, several members voiced support for removing the former parliamentary leader from the committee, pointing to damaged credibility after two missed meetings. Faction leadership intervened during the dispute, negotiating a compromise that would have granted Spahn a probationary period on the committee through the end of the year. ARD reported that a majority within the working group had initially pushed for his immediate exclusion before the compromise was reached. Despite the negotiated arrangement, Spahn chose to relinquish the assignment permanently following weekend reflections.

In addition, I notice in and on myself that my resignation in July is still far too fresh to fully hit the ground running again as if nothing had happened.

Background to faction tensions

The dispute follows Spahn's resignation as CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader in late July 2026. That earlier departure occurred after Spahn and his husband announced the birth of their son through a surrogate mother in the United States. Surrogacy is prohibited under German law, and the CDU/CSU maintains an official platform stance defending the prohibition. The earlier controversy over surrogacy had generated substantial internal resistance across the party, prompting his exit from the group leadership. Spahn retained his direct mandate as a member of the Bundestag despite stepping down from party leadership. Parliamentary group leaders subsequently assigned him to the Budget Committee in early September, placing him on one of parliament's most influential panels until his departure on Monday.