Angela Merkel rules out same-sex marriage in Germany
A spokesman for Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel has again ruled out introducing same-sex marriage.
The Republic of Ireland overwhelmingly voted to introduce same-sex marriage in a referendum last week, with 62.1% voting in favour and 37.9% voting against.
Following the vote, in Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel faced calls for her government to catch up and introduce equality, with opposition Green leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt directly calling on Merkel to act.
Germany allows same-sex couples to enter into registered life partnerships that provide some of the benefits of marriage – but the Chancellor’s CDU/CSU coalition continues to oppose same-sex marriage.
However, the Chancellor’s spokesperson flatly shot down discussion of the proposals – though the government will be making small changes to domestic partnerships.
Spokesman Steffen Seibert told Reuters of the changes to partnerships: “Today was an important milestone in dismantling discrimination and the chancellor is pleased about that… but same-sex marriages are not a goal of this government.
“Every country makes its own laws – some countries go one route while others go another. In Germany we’ll take a path that suits Germany.”
Some have blamed the government’s coalition agreement for lack of flexibility on the issue.
Thomas Jaeger of Cologne University said: “This government isn’t capable of spontaneous reforms and is unable to move with the times.
“These are two big parties in the way of each other that don’t have the courage to tackle anything not agreed on in advance in their coalition agreement.”
