German centre-right politician Jens Spahn faces accusations of double standards after disclosing that he and his husband became parents through a surrogate mother in the United States.

Surrogacy is prohibited in Germany, a position strongly supported by his Christian Democrat party and previously endorsed by Spahn.

While no German law prevents raising a child born via surrogate abroad, Spahn, aged 46, has drawn criticism from politicians across multiple parties, including his own.

"Those who set standards for others must also be judged by them," stated Marion Rosin, a Christian Democrat from Thuringia and member of the Women's Union. "When credibility is lost, resignation follows as a logical step."

Spahn, who leads the parliamentary group for the Christian Democrats and Christian Social Union, shared the news on Wednesday that he and his husband Daniel Funke had welcomed a child.

"Georg brings us immense joy. This emotion is difficult to express in words," he told the tabloid Bild. His husband then shared an Instagram image of the family with Spahn pushing a pram, captioned "We Are Family".

The 1990 Embryo Protection Act makes surrogacy in Germany punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine, prompting Spahn and his partner to seek a surrogate in the US.

Many German couples, both same-sex and heterosexual, now turn to international surrogacy as a viable path.

Other EU nations such as France, Spain and Italy also prohibit surrogacy, a process where a woman carries and delivers a child for intended parents unable to conceive themselves.

France's Court of Cassation recently ruled that children born through surrogacy abroad must be legally recognised as the children of their intended parents.

Italy enacted a 2024 law banning its citizens from pursuing surrogacy overseas, a measure advanced by Giorgia Meloni's right-wing administration.

In February, Spahn's CDU party conference upheld its opposition to surrogacy inside Germany to prevent "commercial or neutral models that turn surrogacy into a business model".

Critics note that as health minister in 2020, Spahn rejected a liberal FDP proposal to ease the domestic surrogacy ban.

They further highlight a 2015 statement in which he wrote that "as a gay man and a Christian I find it personally very hard to warm to the idea of a rented womb".

Spahn is not the only case. Earlier this year, fellow party member Hendrik Streeck also became a father through a US surrogate.

Greens leader Felix Banaszak extended personal congratulations to Spahn and his husband but urged a public explanation, noting the ethical questions around surrogacy are "not trivial".

Party colleague and health spokesman Janosch Dahmen emphasised that the matter concerns political credibility and double standards: "Anyone who advocates for rules politically should be able to explain clearly why those rules apparently do not apply to them personally."

Some commentators labelled Spahn's actions hypocritical, while liberal FDP figure Henning Höne criticised politicians who create domestic laws yet "evade them internationally with money and contacts".

The strongest backlash came from within conservative ranks.

Daniel Peters, a senior CDU politician in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, told Bild that Spahn's position was "no longer tenable and he must resign".

Peters argued it was wrong for Spahn to disregard German law and to act differently in private than he voted for his party.

Klaus Holetschek, a prominent CSU figure in Bavaria, told DPA that he and colleagues continue to back the domestic surrogacy ban.

While respecting the couple's private choice and offering congratulations, he added that "politically our stance remains clear - what is banned in Germany remains banned - and we won't waver on that".