Jens Spahn, Germany's former health minister from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and his husband Daniel Funke have announced they became parents with the help of a surrogate mother in the United States. "It's hard to put this feeling into words," Spahn told German tabloid BILD. "My husband has become a dad, and so have I. Georg is our whole world."

The news has ignited a political firestorm because surrogacy is banned in Germany. A surrogate mother carries a baby to term and is typically paid. Spahn's CDU party staunchly opposes legalizing the practice domestically. As recently as February 2026, the party passed a resolution at its federal convention reaffirming its demand that surrogacy — including altruistic models — remain prohibited to prevent abuse, exploitation, and health risks. Spahn was present at the convention, even as a US-based surrogate was already pregnant with his husband's child.

Spahn and his husband face no legal consequences, as surrogacy is not prohibited in the US. In Germany, only doctors and intermediaries are liable to prosecution; raising a child born abroad via surrogate is not illegal. Throughout his career, Spahn has consistently criticized surrogacy. In 2015, he told GQ: "As a gay man and a Christian, I personally find it very difficult to come to terms with the idea of a 'rented womb.'" However, he added: "Accepting that I will not become a father naturally requires a great deal of humility. I don't know if I can muster that."

In 2020, when the opposition Free Democratic Party (FDP) sought to liberalize Germany's surrogacy laws, Spahn — then health minister — opposed the move, citing potential "particular difficulties in the child's sense of identity." Now, he stands accused of double standards. Daniel Peters, head of the CDU in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, called for Spahn's resignation, telling BILD: "Jens Spahn is no longer acceptable as chairman of the Union parliamentary group." Peters argued that by using a US surrogate, Spahn "deliberately flouted the law in force in Germany."

Hubert Hüppe, chairman of the CDU seniors' organization, told Focus he was shocked: "Surrogacy is rightly banned in Germany. It's not right for politicians to use their power and money to circumvent that ban." Opposition figures also weighed in. Kathrin Gebel of the Left Party argued that "political standards should apply to private life as well," while Janosch Dahmen of the Greens accused Spahn of double standards.

Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz has refrained from public criticism, stating he was informed by Spahn last Friday (July 10) and congratulated him. It remains to be seen whether this debate will harm Spahn politically. The 46-year-old has weathered numerous scandals, including the overpriced purchase of protective masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to billion-euro legal disputes. Despite that scandal, he has remained politically influential.

Source: www.dw.com