Merkel opposes German vote to make same-sex marriage legal
ANGELA MERKEL said that she believed marriage was “between a man and a woman” as she explained her vote against a proposal to legalise same-sex marriage that was passed in Germany’s parliament yesterday.
MPS voted by 393 votes to 226 to extend equal marriage rights to all. The decision means that same-sex couples will be able to marry for the first time in Germany, and will have full rights to adopt children.
Equal rights activists yesterday celebrated the change in the law, which seemed unlikely even a week ago.
The bill was rushed through parliament before the end of the current legislative period after Mrs Merkel made a surprise announcement on Monday that she was prepared to allow MPS a free vote. The German chancellor previously opposed gay marriage over concerns for child welfare, but told a live event hosted by a women’s magazine she had reconsidered after a “lifechanging experience” when she met a lesbian couple who adopted eight children.
While civil partnerships have been legal in Germany since 2001, same-sex marriage remained banned, despite more than 80 per cent public support for legalisation, according to government opinion polls.
Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democrat party (CDU) has long been the main obstacle to legalisation. Martin Schulz, leader of the rival Social Democrats (SPD), seized on her change of heart and demanded a snap vote.
Mrs Merkel reportedly told her party she had not intended a vote to come so soon, but did not attempt to block it. She told her MPS to “follow their conscience”.
The vote was rushed through parliament so quickly there were only 40 minutes of debate.
Mrs Merkel voted against the legalisation but, freed from the party whip, 70 of her party’s MPS voted in favour.
“For me, marriage in the German constitution is between a man and a woman. That’s why I voted no today,” Mrs Merkel told journalists. She stressed that she supported full adoption rights for gay couples. The debate was notable for a bitter outburst from Johannes Kahrs. a gay SPD MP who rounded on Mrs Merkel.
“We deserve equality,” he told the chamber. “Mrs Merkel, I can not spare you: it was pathetic, it was embarrassing. Since 2005, you have supported discrimination against lesbians and gays. Mrs Merkel, thanks for nothing!”
But despite her apparent reluctance to hold a vote so soon, Mrs Merkel may have pulled off something of a political coup.
The SPD was planning to make a pledge to legalise gay marriage a centrepiece of their manifesto in September’s elections. Mrs Merkel’s party was looking increasingly isolated on the issue, with her preferred coalition partner, the Free Democrats (FDP), committed to legalisation.
By allowing a snap vote, Mrs Merkel has effectively removed gay marriage as an election issue and robbed Mr Schulz of one of the few policy areas on which he could claim more popular support. The upper house has already approved the measure, which is expected to come into force before the end of the year.