German parliament passes equal marriage bill
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The bill passed by 393 to 226, with four abstentions. Merkel herself voted against the bill, although her comments helped bring it about.
Volker Beck of the Green party, who has long advocated legalizing same-sex marriage, called the vote "a success for democracy," citing opinion polls showing that 80 percent of Germans were in favor of allowing homosexual couples to marry and adopt children.
The way was paved for a vote on Monday night when Merkel said she wanted the issue to become one of "conscience," suggesting that she would allow a free vote among her own divided party. Her Social Democrat rival for the role of chancellor, Martin Schulz, pounced on Merkel's comments the next day, advocating an immediate vote in parliament, before September's elections.
The bill was put on the agenda for the last day before the summer break by the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Left party. Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc had criticized the SPD's move, saying that they had previously agreed not to hold a parliamentary vote on the issue during their coalition.
Schulz was quick to hail the outcome of the vote, saying that marriage for all meant "unity, justice and freedom" for all Germans who love each other, quoting from the German national anthem.
Germany currently allows civil partnerships, but not full marital rights, which would include the possibility to jointly adopt children.
Schulz had forced the speedy vote, saying he would "take the chancellor at her word."
However, while some would consider the chancellor and CDU to have been wrong-footed, an alternative theory - that Merkel wanted to remove same-sex marriage as an election issue - has been floated. After all, Monday's comments did appear to be her laying foundations for a vote on the same issue in the next legislative period.
All three potential partners in government with the CDU - the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and pro-business Free Democrats - had declared same-sex marriage as a red-line demand for entering into any future coalition.
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