As believing marriage is between a man and woman, Angela Merkel has voted against same-sex marriage in Germany but the Bundestag voted to legalize equal marriage by 393 votes to 226,with a hope to improve social cohesion saying the vote that day not only promote respect between different opinions but would also brought more social cohesion and peace. The bill introduced full adoption rights for same-sex couples.
Angela Merkel said that for her, marriage in German law is marriage between a man and a woman and that is why she did not vote in favor of that bill.
“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.
The issue of same-sex marriage has divided German politics throughout Ms Merkel’s 12-year leadership. The issue has divided Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) party. Even as she moved her party to the centre, closing nuclear power stations, ending military conscription and opening Germany’s border to refugees, the Chancellor has also supported an impending burqa ban and Europe-wide austerity.
Ms Merkel, herself married twice, has always been unequivocal with her personal opposition to marriage equality, citing German law, her values as an evangelical Christian and those of her party, which describes its foundations as the “Christian understanding between people and their accountability before God”. Standing for a “free and constitutional democracy, a social and ecological market economy, Germany’s inclusion in the Western values and defence community and a unified Europe” the CDU’s position – shaped by the country’s unique history – straddles the left-right divide seen elsewhere in Europe.
Ms Merkel acknowledged that all parties apart from the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag were in favour of same-sex marriage, along with many German voters, and said she hoped the debate would become “a decision of conscience”.
Social Democratic Party (SPD) party called the snap vote under an amendment entitled “marriage for all”, which was guaranteed majority support in the Bundestag with the combined backing of the SDP, the Left party and Greens. The SPD pounced on the statement as a signal CDU politicians would not be whipped in a prospective vote, which they were suddenly free to call after apparently being freed from their obligations as a coalition partner.
Hundreds of members of the Bundestag rose to their feet in a spontaneous standing ovation when the result was announced, as the Green party launched rainbow confetti and celebrated with a cake. After years of wrangling, the Chancellor eventually triggered the historic vote to legalise same-sex marriage almost by accident
- Kahrs of SPD has been well known for his LGBT campaigning has now launched a blistering attack on Ms Merkel over embarrassing delays to the legislation.
Legalizing of same sex Across World:
The draft law legalizing same-sex marriage was first moved in 2015 in the upper house of parliament by the state of Rhineland Palatinate.
Since 2001, Germany, though has allowed same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships, but same-sex marriages remained illegal.
The Netherlands was the first European country to legalise same-sex marriage, back in 2001, followed by countries including
- Belgium,
- Spain,
- Canada,
- Norway,
- Sweden,
- Portugal,
- Iceland,
- Denmark,
- France and
the UK.
