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France 24
France 24
Politics
FRANCE 24

German conservative parliamentary leader resigns over surrogate baby controversy

Jens Spahn CDU Friedrich Merz United States Germany
Jens Spahn, chef du groupe parlementaire CDU/CSU, à Berlin, en Allemagne
File photo of Jens Spahn, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader walks ahead of the press conference after the Baden-Wuerttemberg state election, in Berlin, Germany, March 9, 2026. © Annegret Hilse, Reuters

Jens Spahn, the parliamentary head of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU faction, resigned on Saturday amid mounting pressure over his use of a surrogate mother in the US despite a surrogacy ban in Germany. Spahn and his husband welcomed the child earlier this week, sparking criticisms of hypocrisy and double standards.

A prominent figure in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right party resigned his leadership post Saturday, party sources told AFP, amid controversy over his use of a surrogate mother in the US despite a ban on the practice in Germany.

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