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German ex-lawmaker Spahn resigns after revealing US surrogacy birth: debate reignites over ban
CDU parliamentary leader Spahn resigns after surrogacy controversy in US triggers German backlash
German CDUCSU parliamentary leader Spahn resigns over US surrogacy controversy
Jens Spahn, the former leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, resigned on Saturday after revealing that he and his husband had used a surrogate mother in the USA to have a child. The couple's son, Georg, was born through surrogacy, which is banned in Germany.
The resignation has sparked a debate about surrogacy in Germany. According to a representative survey by the Institute Insa for the Bild newspaper, conducted from July 17 to 20, 39 percent of respondents believe the ban on surrogacy is correct, while 41 percent think it is wrong. A notably high 21 percent did not provide an answer or did not know. The survey has a maximum error tolerance of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Families Minister Karin Prien of the CDU expressed understanding for couples who seek help abroad but stated that she does not believe her party will change its stance on surrogacy soon. "The CDU has clearly defined its position," Prien said in an interview with the portal "The Pioneer." The party had reaffirmed its opposition to surrogacy at its party conference in February, stating that neither commercial nor altruistic surrogacy is compatible with its values.
Green Party parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann called for a new discussion on reproductive medicine topics. Meanwhile, SPD politician Leni Breymaier criticized surrogacy as the "use and commercialization of the female body."
The debate has also drawn comments from legal experts. Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, a legal scholar, argued that the ban on surrogacy is paternalistic and incompatible with the German constitution's view of human dignity. "Women have a right to make their bodies available to prospective parents," Brosius-Gersdorf said in an interview with the "Zeit." However, former CDU leader Armin Laschet criticized her stance as "plump" and welcomed that she was not appointed to the Federal Constitutional Court.
In the survey, 1,004 people were interviewed by Insa from July 17 to 20.
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