Spahn's surrogacy resignation splits German parties, Greens demand new debate
Jens Spahn stepped down as CDU parliamentary leader after revealing he became a father via a surrogate in the US, where the practice is legal. His resignation has forced Germany's parties to revisit a long-stalled discussion on reproductive medicine.
Resignation and immediate fallout
Jens Spahn resigned as leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group over the weekend after public criticism of his fatherhood through a surrogate mother in the United States. Surrogacy is illegal in Germany. The move was described as "absolutely logical" by Green parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann, who argued the episode should prompt a fresh look at reproductive medicine laws.
The current societal debate shows that it is necessary to once again engage with the results of the Commission on Reproductive Self-Determination and Reproductive Medicine.
CDU holds firm against any liberalisation
Karin Prien, CDU education minister and mother of three, told The Pioneer that she cannot imagine the party changing its position soon. The CDU tightened its programme in February, ruling out both commercial and altruistic surrogacy as incompatible with its values.
I can hardly imagine that.
She acknowledged the pain of couples who cannot carry a child for medical reasons, calling it "a terrible fate", but said she personally could not envisage surrogacy because of the bond formed during nine months of pregnancy.
The 2024 commission report
The commission, appointed by the previous traffic-light coalition, delivered its final report in April 2024. It recommended that early abortions should no longer be criminalised and that surrogacy could be permitted under strict conditions, provided the protection of the surrogate and the child's welfare are sufficiently guaranteed. Commercial surrogacy was rejected. Even altruistic surrogacy, the commission warned, carries a risk of abuse and should only be allowed in very narrow circumstances, such as a close familial or friendly relationship between intended parents and surrogate.
- Commission on Reproductive Self-Determination recommends allowing altruistic surrogacy under strict conditions.
- CDU party conference tightens stance, rejecting both commercial and altruistic surrogacy.
- Jens Spahn resigns as CDU parliamentary leader after surrogacy revelation.
SPD and Left voice scepticism
The SPD's Working Group of Social Democratic Women has not yet formed a position. Co-chair Ulrike Häfner told Funke media that the group criticises the increasing "commercialisation of women in reproductive medicine" and the exploitation of financial hardship. The Left party's women's policy spokesperson, Kathrin Gebel, sees even altruistic surrogacy critically, pointing to health risks, dependencies and family pressure that do not vanish simply because no money changes hands.
Health risks, dependencies and family pressure do not automatically disappear just because officially no money flows.
What happens next
Haßelmann urged the current coalition not to let the commission's work "disappear in a drawer". With the CDU firmly opposed and the SPD and Left cautious, any legislative move remains distant. The debate, however, has been forced back onto the agenda by Spahn's personal decision and its political consequences.
