German Conservative Leader Resigns Over Surrogacy

Jens Spahn, a senior leader in German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU party and parliamentary group leader, resigned after coming under intense pressure for fathering a child through a surrogate mother in the United States.

The controversy stemmed from accusations of hypocrisy, as Spahn had previously opposed the legalisation of surrogacy in Germany, where the practice remains banned.

Merz described the resignation as "the right one" and "unavoidable," stating that "credibility is the highest asset in politics." The scandal has rocked the centre-right party just months after it returned to power, exposing deep tensions over social policy and personal conduct within the new government.