German lawmakers voted by a wide margin to legalize same-sex marriage days after Chancellor, Angela Merkel dropped her longstanding opposition to a free vote on the issue.

The bill gives homosexual couples in Germany the same rights as heterosexual couples, and will allow same sex couples to marry and jointly adopt children.

The votes pass by 393 votes to 226, with four abstentions.

Speaking after the votes, Merkel said she had voted no on the issue, but that it had been important to put the question to a vote of conscience.

” For me and the basic law , its about the marriage of a woman and a man. That’s why i voted against it,” she said. </s> (CNN) German lawmakers will decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage Friday, just days after Chancellor Angela Merkel dropped her longstanding opposition to allowing a free vote on the issue in parliament.

The bill, which is widely expected to pass, would give homosexual couples in Germany the same rights as heterosexual couples. Once it has been officially signed into law, same-sex couples will be able to marry and jointly adopt children.

While civil partnerships have been available to gay couples in Germany since 2001, same-sex marriages have not been recognized by the state.

Two-thirds of Germans said they were in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in a recent YouGov poll

Gay rights activists in Germany have been calling for same-sex marriage to be legalized for many years.

If approved by the Bundestag on Friday, the bill is likely to pass through the Bundesrat -- Germany's upper house -- next week, paving the way for Germany to enter the club of more than 20 countries where same-sex marriage is legal.

Friday's vote comes at the end of a turbulent week in German politics. Facing pressure on the issue from the leaders of other political parties, Merkel announced Monday that she would like to see parliament move towards a "vote of conscience" on same-sex marriage.

The Chancellor made the comment at an event in Berlin hosted by women's magazine Brigitte, where she was asked by a gay man in the audience whether he would be able to refer to his partner as "my husband."

Merkel responded by acknowledging the widespread support for gay marriage among German voters and suggesting a free vote in parliament, meaning lawmakers vote freely rather than being asked to support their parties' official positions.

Her comments represent a significant shift for the German leader and her conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which has long opposed same-sex marriage and promoted "traditional" family values.

But with September's election looming, Merkel has come under increasing pressure, with her main rivals and potential coalition partners announcing support for "Ehe für alle" (marriage for all).

The left-leaning Green party and the centrist FDP both said that they would not enter into any coalition deal with Merkel if "Ehe für alle" was not enshrined in it. The left-leaning Die Linke party has long supported full equality.

Following the Chancellor's comments Monday, Martin Schulz, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) -- the second largest party in parliament -- tweeted: "We will push through marriage equality in Germany. This week."

Friday is the last chance for parliament to vote on the issue before it breaks for the summer recess and election campaigning begins in earnest.

While Merkel's announcement delighted LGBT rights campaigners and many of the country's liberal politicians, the vote has caused a rift within Merkel's party.

Gay rights have long been a controversial issue within the CDU and its more conservative Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). Some CSU politicians reacted angrily to Merkel's comments and the vote.

"This is about the further disintegration of the social order," tweeted CSU politican Hans-Peter Friedrich on Wednesday.

"Marriage is reserved for a woman and a man," wrote Hans Reichart, a CSU politician in the Bavarian state parliament. "That must prevail!"

Anja Neundorf, associate professor at the University of Nottingham, sees Merkel's change of stance as an election tactic designed to appeal to the average German voter -- but one that could backfire among traditional, religious CSU supporters in Bavaria. Merkel needs the support of those voters to win the election.

CSU supporters "are much more sensitive to this issue" than other voters, Neundorf told CNN. And some might choose to simply stay at home on polling day, she explained.

By legalizing gay marriage, Germany would follow the path of many of its European neighbors, as well as countries around the world.

In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. More than 20 other nations have followed suit, including Spain, Canada, Argentina, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. </s> German lawmakers are one step closer to legalizing gay marriage. Parliament voted to allow it after only a short debate. The decision came after Chancellor Angela Merkel unexpectedly eased her parties stance on same-sex marriage.

The new legislation gives gay couples in Germany full marital rights and allows them to adopt children. Germany joins more than a dozen other European nations that have legalized same-sex unions.

After the 393 to 226 vote, Merkel announced that she believes marriage is between a man and a woman, but she hopes the decision will lead to "social cohesion and peace."

According to a recent survey taken by a German government agency, 83 percent of Germans are in favor of marriage equality.

The measure now goes to the upper house of Parliament for formal approval and then requires the signature of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Once signed into law, Germany's first same-sex marriages will be on track to be celebrated in the early fall, according to The New York Times. </s> BERLIN — The German Parliament plans to vote Friday on whether to legalize same-sex marriage — only days after Chancellor Angela Merkel backed off her conservative party’s long-standing refusal to budge on the issue.

The German news agency dpa reported Wednesday the Parliament’s legal committee had given its OK for the vote to take place Friday.

Merkel surprisingly said Monday she could see lawmakers making the issue a “decision of conscience,” voting according to individual preferences rather than along party lines.

Her comment came ahead of Germany’s Sept. 24 election in which all of Merkel’s potential coalition partners, including the center-left Social Democrats of her challenger, Martin Schulz, are calling for same-sex marriage to be legalized.

Germany has allowed same-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships since 2001.

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PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares to cast her vote during the voting for the legalization of the same-sex marriage in the German Parliament (Bundestag), in Berlin, June 30, 2017. </s> Germany legalized same-sex marriage Friday despite the personal objections of Chancellor Angela Merkel, as the nation joined many other western democracies in granting gay and lesbian couples full rights including adoption.

The election-year bill was pushed by Merkel's leftist rivals, who pounced on comments she made early this week suggesting a policy U-turn -- a maneuver that left her conservative lawmakers fuming.

Merkel allowed MPs of her Christian Democratic Party (CDU) to vote their conscience on the bill rather than follow the party line, which has for years been to oppose the reform.

The gay marriage law passed by a margin of 393 to 226 on the parliament's last day before the summer recess -- a moment jubilant supporters celebrated by throwing confetti in the Bundestag.

The reform reflects German public opinion, with polls showing three-quarters support granting full marriage rights to same-sex couples, who have since 2001 been allowed to live in so-called civil unions.

But Merkel said she had voted against the legalization out of her personal conviction.

"To me, marriage as defined in the German constitution means the marriage between husband and wife, and that is why I voted against the law today," she said.

She did however say that her thinking had changed on the question of child adoption by same-sex couples, which she long opposed.

"I have thought a lot about the matter of child welfare and have now... have come to the conviction that same-sex couples should be able to jointly adopt children," she said.

The German legal code will change to say "marriage is entered into for life by two people of different or the same sex."

The upper house has already approved the measure, which is expected to enter into force before the end of the year.

Renate Kuenast of the Greens party, which has pushed for decades for LGBT rights, quipped cheerfully: "I would advise all registry offices in the country to boost staff numbers."

"Germany voted for love," said the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany, celebrating the "historic day... for a more just and democratic society."

"It's a real recognition, so it warms the heart," said French engineer Christophe Tetu, 46, who lives in Berlin with his partner Timo Strobel, 51.

"We're thinking about having a party, getting married and using our new rights to protect our relationship," he told AFP.

Strobel said he too was "overjoyed" that the couple would be able to show family and friends "that we are committed to each other, that we will stay together and we will spend our lives together."

The rapid series of events kicked off with an on-stage interview Merkel gave Monday to women's magazine Brigitte, in which an audience member asked her: "When can I call my boyfriend my husband if I want to marry him?"

Merkel, who had long opposed gay marriage with adoption rights, replied that she had changed her mind after meeting a lesbian couple who lovingly cared for eight foster children.

She said she favored an eventual vote when all lawmakers could follow their conscience rather than a party line.

Many read the surprising comments as a move to rob opposition parties of a key campaign issue before September 24 elections.

Merkel's current coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), had declared a gay marriage law a red-line demand and precondition for any future alliance -- as had the Greens, the far-left Linke and the pro-business Free Democrats.

On Tuesday, after much buzz on social media, the SPD leader and candidate for the chancellory Martin Schulz took Merkel at her word and broke coalition ranks to call for an immediate vote.

The CDU slammed the tactic as a "breach of trust" after four years of joint rule with the SPD.

During Friday's emotional parliamentary debate, one SPD lawmaker angrily criticized Merkel, accusing her of "pathetic and embarrassing" meandering on the issue.

"Mrs Merkel, thanks for nothing!" said Johannes Kahrs, charging that she had blocked progress on gay and lesbian rights for years.

He characterized her Monday-night comments as a "Schabowski moment" -- a reference to the communist East German official Guenter Schabowski, whose fumbling comments at a 1989 press conference sparked the mass rush to border crossings that brought down the Berlin Wall. </s> The German Parliament has approved a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the country, a somewhat surprising move ahead of Federal elections in this fall:

BERLIN — When Sarah Kermer proposed to her girlfriend in March, she knew she was in love, but she did not know when, if ever, Germany would allow them to marry.

The answer came early Friday morning, when the lower house of the German Parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage after a brisk but emotional debate, prompting Ms. Kermer and scores of other gay and lesbian Germans to celebrate in the streets.

“I was at work, and I just started crying,” Ms. Kermer, 25, said as she and her fiancée left a spontaneous gathering at the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin. “I was watching the decision on live-stream, and I cried — a lot. This has all happened just so fast.”

The historic decision came with a swiftness rare in Germany’s usually staid politics, just five days after Chancellor Angela Merkel unexpectedly relaxed her party’s opposition to same-sex marriage and allowed lawmakers to vote on the issue according to their consciences.

Ms. Merkel’s softened resistance opened the way for her coalition partners in the Social Democratic Party and two other political groups to press for a vote on the measure, which had previously been blocked by Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democrats and their conservative allies. Ms. Merkel voted against the measure on Friday, but many of her party colleagues voted in favor, allowing it to pass easily — 393 votes in favor and 226 against, with four abstentions.

With the passage of the measure, Germany will join Ireland, France, Spain and other nations in extending full marital rights to same-sex couples, including the right to adopt children.

“If the Constitution guarantees one thing, it is that anyone in this country can live as they wish,” Thomas Oppermann, the parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats, said in opening the floor debate. “If gay marriage is decided, then many will receive something, but nobody will have something taken away.”

His remark was clearly intended to defuse the opposition of conservatives like Ms. Merkel who argued that the Constitution protected conventional marriage.

The chancellor explained her stance in a two-minute statement after the vote. She said that while she had come to support the right of same-sex couples to adopt, she continued to believe that marriage ought to remain a union between a man and a woman. What she did not want, she said, was a culture war over the issue.

“I hope that with today’s vote, not only that mutual respect is there between the individual positions, but also that an amount of social peace and togetherness can be created,” Ms. Merkel said.

Axel Hochrein, a board member of the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany who attended the parliamentary debate, expressed no bitterness toward Ms. Merkel, even though he had said Thursday evening that he thought she was leaning toward voting yes.

“This is perhaps part of her religious education,” Mr. Hochrein said of the chancellor’s vote. “I think it is more honest of her than to say yes. In the end, she fought for a long time against it, and always argued it was in her feelings, and this was a feelings decision.”

In contrast to Ms. Merkel’s no vote, several prominent members of her party supported the measure, including her chief of staff, Peter Altmaier, and the defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, who has held several important posts in Ms. Merkel’s cabinets over the years.

To become law, the measure still requires approval by the upper house of Parliament and the signature of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier; neither appeared to be in doubt. Once the formalities are completed, Germany’s first same-sex marriages can be celebrated, probably some time in the early fall.

The legislative session on Friday was the last before Parliament’s summer recess, and the last before national elections in September. </s> German lawmakers voted by a wide margin to legalize same-sex marriage on Friday, just a week after Chancellor Angela Merkel dropped her opposition to letting parliament consider the matter.

Gay couples in Germany have been allowed to enter into civil partnerships since 2001, but could not marry or jointly adopt children. The German Parliament voted 393-226 to legalize same-sex marriage, and according to CNN, the bill is expected to pass in the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper house, next week.

For years polls have shown most Germans support same-sex marriage, but Merkel’s party, the center-right Christian Democratic Union, was among those opposed to the issue. Recently, several left-leaning parties let it be known that they would not form a coalition with CDU after September’s general election if it remained opposed to “Ehe für alle” (marriage for all).

Merkel shifted her stance, saying on Monday at an event hosted by a women’s magazine that she’d like to see a vote on same-sex marriage that is “a question of conscience,” meaning members would not be pushed to vote along party lines. From there the vote was scheduled quickly, taking place on the last day before the summer recess, and the start of campaigning in the fall.

Merkel, the daughter of a Protestant pastor, said she voted against the bill. “For me and the basic law, it’s about the marriage of a woman and a man. That’s why I voted against it,” she said. “I hope that the vote today shows not only the mutual respect for different opinions but that this also leads to more peace and social cohesion as well.”

Martin Schulz, leader of the Social Democratic Party, one of the groups that pushed for legalization of same-sex marriage, tweeted that the vote meant “progress is possible.”

The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001, and several other European nations have embraced marriage equality, including Spain, France, and the U.K. </s> Angela Merkel has voted against same-sex marriage in Germany because she believes that “marriage is between a man and woman”.

Despite her opposition, the Bundestag voted to legalise equal marriage by 393 votes to 226, and the Chancellor said she hoped the move would improve social cohension.

“For me, marriage in German law is marriage between a man and a woman and that is why I did not vote in favour of this bill today,” she told reporters moments after the historic vote.

“I hope that the vote today not only promotes respect between different opinions but also brings more social cohesion and peace.”

The Chancellor said she supported the bill’s introduction of full adoption rights for same-sex couples – a move she had previously opposed – and was fighting anti-LGBT discrimination.

Ms Merkel had freed her conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) from the party whip on the issue, calling for a “vote of conscience”.

The centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), which is governing in a coalition with the CDU/CSU, read the statement as permission to launch the snap vote.

It was called by under an amendment entitled “marriage for all”, which was already guaranteed a majority in the Bundestag with the combined support of the SPD, the Left party and Greens.

Johannes Kahrs, an SPD politician known for his LGBT campaigning, launched a blistering attack on Ms Merkel over “embarrassing” delays to the legislation.

He finished his impassioned speech with: “Frau Merkel, thanks for nothing.”

But political analysts said that despite condemnation from critics over her no vote, Ms Merkel had trodden a careful line on same-sex marriage just three months before national elections.

While endearing herself to right-wing voters on a personal level, she ultimately allowed the vote to happen by freeing the SPD from their obligation as a coalition partner not to put the bill forward.

The Chancellor had previously accused the SPD of “ambushing” her by bringing forward the vote.

“It's sad and completely unnecessary...that such a decision has turned into a political confrontation at the very moment when there was a realistic outlook for a process that could have crossed party lines,” Ms Merkel told Wirtschaftswoche magazine earlier in the week.

“Every member of parliament should be able to follow their conscience.”

The issue has divided her party, which remains the largest in the German parliament and has enjoyed comfortable poll leads and local election victories ahead of September’s federal elections.

Germany has allowed same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships since 2001, but same-sex marriages remain illegal.

The draft law legalising same-sex marriage, which was first moved in 2015 in the upper house of parliament by the state of Rhineland Palatinate, will be signed into law by the President after 7 July.
The Bundestag votes to introduce same-sex marriage in Germany. With 393 votes in favor and 226 against, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, the law is expected to enter into force before the end of the year.