A surrogacy scandal throws Germany’s conservatives into turmoil

Jens Spahn, former parliamentary leader of the CDU/CSU, revealed he and his husband had a baby via a surrogate in the US, which is illegal in Germany, and he had previously argued surrogacy should stay illegal.

Spahn resigned three days after the announcement, creating turmoil for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government.

Spahn had a good relationship with SPD's Matthias Miersch and helped broker a 34-point reform package finalized on July 1, including pension reform and tax relief for low- and middle-income earners.

The government needs to deliver these measures to counter the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in state elections in eastern Germany in September.

CDU/CSU lawmakers will vote on Spahn's successor on July 29, with Thorsten Frei emerging as a likely replacement.