By Elisabeth Dampier, Statement (Image: Unsplash)
As European politicians celebrate surrogacy, the practice raises serious ethical concerns over the exploitation of women, the risks of pregnancy and the treatment of children as commodities.
Many congratulations followed the announcement by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and his male fiancé, Nicolás Keenan, that they had ordered a baby through surrogacy. The child was conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF), using an egg donated by a Dutch female friend. The couple have not disclosed whose sperm was used, leaving the identity of the child’s biological father unknown to the public.
The embryo was implanted in another Dutch woman, identified as Lisa, who is carrying the pregnancy. Both women reportedly agreed to participate voluntarily and without commercial payment. The baby is expected in spring 2027.
The announcement was greeted with enthusiasm, as though it represented another milestone in social progress. Yet conspicuously absent from much of the celebration was any serious consideration of the ethical implications of deliberately creating a child who will be separated from its mother who gives birth to it.
Surrogacy is presented as an unquestionable expression of reproductive freedom made possible by medical advances. In reality, it commodifies women’s bodies, exploits economically vulnerable mothers and infringes on the rights of children.
Politicians Are Becoming More Open About Surrogacy
Jetten is hardly the first prominent European politician to turn to surrogacy. In July 2026, German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician Jens Spahn and his husband, Daniel Funke, announced the birth of their son, Georg, through a surrogate mother in the United States.
The announcement caused considerable controversy in Germany, where surrogacy is prohibited and Spahn himself had previously opposed its legalization. His CDU party had reaffirmed its opposition at its February 2026 conference, insisting that surrogacy should remain prohibited regardless of the circumstances. Spahn subsequently resigned as parliamentary group leader amid criticism of the contradiction between his private decision and his political position.
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