Germany's Jens Spahn Resigns After Surrogacy Backlash

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing BBC, Jens Spahn, the parliamentary caucus leader of Germany's ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has resigned after drawing criticism over having a child with his husband through surrogacy in the United States. The 46-year-old said earlier this week that he and his husband, Funk, had become fathers. Germany bans surrogacy at home, and Spahn's CDU has long backed keeping the prohibition in place; he also previously opposed loosening the rules. In his resignation statement on Saturday, July 18, Spahn said his personal happiness as part of a family and as a father could no longer be reconciled with his political role. German Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz said the resignation was the right and unavoidable decision and said he would begin the process of selecting a successor. German media reported that Alexander Hoffmann, the parliamentary group leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), will serve in the post in the interim.