Updated June 30, 11:44am: German Parliament has voted to legalize marriage equality, despite Chancellor Angela Merkel’s vote of opposition. The vote was passed 393 to 226.
“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,” Merkel told reporters after voting.
The German Parliament is gearing up to vote on the legalization of marriage equality this upcoming Friday. The call for a vote comes after Parliament’s legal committee gave the official okay this past Wednesday for the vote to take place.
This comes as a surprise to many Germans as Chancellor Angela Merkel is known for her conservative views on the topic. The country has an upcoming nationwide election on September 24, which may be the reason that Merkel surprisingly budged on her conservative party’s stance and refusal to address the topic. Merkel’s challenger in the election, Martin Schulz, is publicly calling for the legalization of same-sex marriage, and some are speculating that Merkel is changing her stance for the sake of winning the vote.
It is hypothesized that the parliamentary vote will pass on Friday, which would make marriage equality the law of the land in Germany. According to a YouGov poll taken last month, 66 percent of 1,099 participants stated that they were in favor of the legalization of same-sex marriage. This is a good sign for those in favor of marriage equality, as Merkel has said that the vote will be a vote of conscience, meaning that the members of Parliament will be voting based on their personal opinion and viewpoint on the matter.
Follow Equally Wed for updates on the outcome of the German Parliament vote.
