Volkswacht Bodensee - Germany's Merz replaces leader ousted over surrogacy row

Merz said that he had nominated Thorsten Frei, the current chief of the chancellory as well as minister for special tasks, to take over the post from Jens Spahn.

The CDU/CSU parliamentary group is set to elect its new leader at a special meeting on Wednesday next week.

Spahn stepped down as chairman of the centre-right CDU/CSU party's faction in parliament over the weekend after mounting criticism over his use of a surrogate mother in the United States.

Surrogacy is banned in Germany.

Merz credited Frei with having played "a decisive role" in the success of the government so far and with having ensuring "stability" in their coalition with the centre-left SPD.

Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder, who heads up the Bavarian CSU part of the alliance, said Wednesday that Frei would be "a good chairman" for the parliamentary group.

- An influential figure -

Spahn, a former health minister, had faced harsh criticism over his use of a surrogate mother after news of the baby's birth broke in the German press last week, as surrogacy is banned in Germany.

The CDU/CSU has strictly condemned the practice and opposed any effort to legalise it, most recently with a resolution at a party conference in February.

At the time, a woman in the US was reportedly already several months pregnant with a child she was carrying for Spahn and his husband, Bild newspaper reported.

That prompted charges of hypocrisy against Spahn, with some fellow CDU/CSU colleagues demanding he step down.

Spahn initially tried to defend himself, saying that he had reflected on the issue for a long time before deciding to have a child with his husband through a surrogate.

But on Saturday, he submitted his resignation, writing in a letter to colleagues that his "personal happiness" as a new father was "incompatible with my political office".

While praising Spahn, Merz welcomed his departure, saying his resignation was "right and unavoidable".

Frei, 52, is seen as a particularly close confidante of the chancellor and an influential figure among the party's lawmakers.

A conservative from southwestern Germany, he has served in parliament since 2013.

Frei held the post of the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction's deputy chairman from 2018 to 2021, and then as chief whip from 2021 to 2025.

T.Ziegler--VB