Germany's Merz Replaces Leader Ousted over Surrogacy Row
Thorsten Frei, a close Merz ally, will take over after Jens Spahn quit amid criticism over a surrogacy birth.
- On Wednesday, Germany's ruling conservatives will appoint Thorsten Frei, a close ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as their new parliamentary faction chief, officials said after the abrupt exit of Jens Spahn.
- Spahn resigned on Saturday after having a baby born to a surrogate mother in the United States, a decision at odds with the Christian Democratic Union's official opposition to surrogacy.
- The CDU voted to uphold the surrogacy ban at its February party conference, while Spahn, once seen as a potential challenger to Merz, drew heavy criticism over his parenting choice.
- Supporters argue Frei is better suited for the parliamentary post due to strong faction backing, though his previous role coordinating government business from the chancellery has drawn scrutiny.
- Discussions regarding who will succeed Frei as head of the chancellery are continuing, amid broader criticism that coordination between the chancellery, ministries, and parliamentary groups has often been poor.
22 Articles
22 Articles
After the Spahn-Sturz, Friedrich Merz immediately restructures his government, a bit at least. This is the chance for a fresh start. A comment by Christian Deutschländer.
The former head of the chancellor's office, Thorsten Frei, will become the new head of the Union's political group. See the statement of CSU head of state Alexander Hoffmann and the parliamentary director of the political group, Steffen Bilger.
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…
German conservatives to appoint Merz confidant to lead faction after surrogacy row
BERLIN, July 22 (Reuters) - Germany's ruling conservatives will appoint a close ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz as their new parliamentary faction chief, officials said on Wednesday, after the abrupt exit of party heavyweight Jens Spahn in a row ov...
Did Jens Spahn's resignation come too late? How much did the affair harm the state election fighters? We listened to each other at the CDU base.
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