German lawmakers voted Friday to legalize same-sex marriage after a
short but emotional debate, bringing the country in line with many of
its Western peers. Though Chancellor Angela Merkel voted against the measure, she paved the way for its passage by freeing other members of her party to vote their "conscience."
Lawmakers voted 393 for legalizing "marriage for everybody" and 226 against, with four abstentions.
Merkel said Monday that lawmakers could take up the issue as a "question
of conscience," allowing members of her conservative coalition, which
has been against same-sex marriage, to individually vote for it.
That prompted her center-left rivals to quickly call for a snap vote on
the issue, adding it to the agenda Friday on parliament's last regular
session before Sept. 24 elections.
While some in Merkel's conservative bloc spoke against the measure,
Berlin Christian Democrat Jan-Marco Luczak urged his fellow party
members to vote for same-sex marriage.
"It would be absurd to try and protect marriage by preventing people to marry," he told lawmakers.
Many applauded Merkel's comments that opened the way for the vote, but
Social Democrat lawmaker Johannes Kahrs noted in the debate that the
chancellor had been a longtime opponent of gay marriage.
"Many thanks for nothing," he said bluntly.
Germany has allowed same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships since
2001, but has not granted them full marital rights, which include the
possibility to jointly adopt children.
The new law won't take effect for several months because it still needs
to pass the upper house of Parliament and be approved by the president,
though those are formalities. It is also expected to face legal
challenges.
Merkel told reporters after the vote that her vote against the measure
was based upon her reading of the country's law concerning marriage and
that she did think gay couples should be able to adopt.
Germany's basic law is vague, saying only that "marriage and the family
shall enjoy the protection of the state," but Merkel said that for her
"marriage as defined by the law is the marriage of a man and a woman."
She added, however, that she stood by her contention that the
interpretation was a "question of conscience" and urged all views to be
respected.
"It was a long, intensive, and for many also emotional discussion, that
goes for me personally too, and I'm hopeful not only that there will be
respect for either side's opinions, but that it will also bring about
more peace and cohesion in society," she said.
All of Merkel's potential coalition partners after the September
election, including the center-left Social Democrats of her challenger,
Martin Schulz, have been calling for same-sex marriage to be legalized.
It is not clear whether Merkel thought her Monday comments would prompt
such a quick vote, but many analysts have suggested that by opening the
door to gay marriage the chancellor removed yet another issue that might have helped her opponents in their campaigns against her.
In nearly 12 years as chancellor, Merkel has moved her party to the
center and away from conservative orthodoxy, speeding up Germany's exit
from nuclear power and ending military conscription among other moves.
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