Jens Spahn apologizes to CDU members in a letter
Because of his surrogacy in the USA and previous statements to the contrary, Jens Spahn writes to CDU members in his constituency and admits mistakes.
Quick Look
- CDU politician Jens Spahn apologizes in a letter to members of his Steinfurt I / Borken I constituency because of his use of surrogacy in the USA.
- He admits that he betrayed trust and communicated openly too late.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Spahn and his husband used surrogacy in the USA, which sparked criticism for previous attitudes.
Spahn and his husband used surrogacy in the USA to become parents. He was also accused within the CDU of having previously held a different opinion on this issue and of circumventing the ban on surrogacy in Germany, which the CDU also supports.
Spahn is now asking for an apology in his constituency of Steinfurt I / Borken I in North Rhine-Westphalia in a letter to the approximately 2,500 CDU members. “I was too cowardly to openly show my colors on this sensitive issue,” says the letter, which SPIEGEL has seen.
Spahn: “Wanted to avoid a difficult debate”
“Above all, I betrayed trust due to the contradiction between the stance I previously expressed publicly and my personal decision,” said Spahn. As a result, the local CDU members had to deal with questions, criticism and sometimes very emotional reactions “on site, at shooting festivals, summer festivals and at many other encounters.”
“This gave me additional legal security when I was personally weighing things up.” However, he failed “to disclose this weighing process in a timely manner and to explain my changed position. There were plenty of opportunities for that. I didn’t use it.”
»Trust can be damaged very quickly«
»Trust is built over years, but can be damaged very quickly. I know that an apology or resignation alone will not easily restore that trust. “This can only be achieved through my own actions in the coming period,” said Spahn ruefully. He will "continue to represent the interests of our homeland with commitment in the Bundestag." In the wake of the surrogacy debate, Spahn recently announced that he would no longer run for the presidency of the CDU-Münsterland.
It remains to be seen whether his comeback will be successful. CSU leader Markus Söder said in July that he "believes that Jens Spahn's journey is not yet over." Someone “with such talent and such political power” will at some point “take on a leading role again,” said Bavaria’s Prime Minister. You can read more about Spahn's return from the summer break here.
Open Questions
- How do CDU members react to the apology letter?
