Senior Merz ally under pressure in Germany over surrogate baby

BERLIN, July 17 - A senior member of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's ruling conservatives faced pressure to resign on Friday after having a baby born through a surrogate mother in the United States, contrary to his own party's opposition to surrogacy.

Jens Spahn, the parliamentary leader of Merz's Christian Democrat party and its sister Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), drew heavy criticism after news emerged that he had become a parent with his husband through a surrogate mother.

"I wrestled with myself for a long time, including on the subject of surrogacy. I was torn for a long time," he told the mass market Bild daily on Friday.

Surrogacy is prohibited in Germany, although it is not illegal to bring up a child born of a surrogate mother outside Germany.

The CDU voted to uphold the ban on surrogacy inside Germany at its party conference in February, and the news about Spahn's move to use a surrogate in the United States prompted calls from some in the party for Spahn to step down.

"Jens Spahn is no longer fit to remain as leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group and must resign," Daniel Peters, the head of the CDU in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern told Bild.

Spahn said he would discuss his position with members of his parliamentary group.

The episode was the latest in a series that have underlined the sensitivity of the surrogacy issue in Europe, with the interests of would-be parents unable to have children coming up against those who say the practice is exploitative.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni once described surrogacy as "inhuman" and her government made it illegal to seek surrogacy abroad. France and Spain also ban surrogacy.

Merz said the story was deeply affecting many people in Germany "in all its dimensions – human, legal, social and ethical" but he added that he saw no reason for the law to change. REUTERS