Same-sex marriage in Germany
30.06 — How to juggle in politics like Merkel does
We’ve read it everywhere: that’s a work of collaboration between the German parties. So first, we need a short update to German politics:
The Bundestag (the parliament), is dominated by a major coalition called “the Grand coalition” composed by the two major parties, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU, major German party), the Social Democratic Party (SDP, second biggest party), and their minor allies like the Christian Social Union (CSU) or The Greens. Knowing their similarities, we often group the CDU/CSU. A. Merkel comes from the CDU.
Here’s the plot: the CDU/CSU and the right has long opposed the “marriage for all” which has been dividing German politics for 12 years. But according to polls, a large part of the population (even issued from the conservatives) was for it, as well as all other parties in the Bundestag. The elections are in September and Merkel’s opponent from the SDP, Martin Schulz, used the issue to block her chances to form a coalition if she wins.
Here are Merkel’s tips and cheat codes to handle the situation:
Last Monday in a TV interview, she shifted her long lasting views and said the issue “is headed towards a conscience vote”. The SDP interpreted the statement in two ways: first that the CDU politicians wouldn’t be rejected by their own party if they voted for it, and second that the SDP was freed from its obligations as a coalition partner. Knowing the bill would get a majority thanks to The Left Party and The Greens support, the SDP called a snap vote about the marriage for all on Friday. Huge success.
However, to stay in line with her party, Merkel voted red, meaning a “no vote”. She added: “For me, marriage in German law is marriage between a man and a woman and that is why I did not vote in favor of this bill today”. During the week, she also criticized the rush imposed by the SDP lead to a “completely unnecessary […] political confrontation” with the CDU/CDS.
This way, as commentators said, she “had trodden a careful line on same-sex marriage”: staying in her party lines, allowing the SDP to put the bill forward and cutting her opponent strategy for the election by allowing the coalition to happen in September. (Link)(Link)(Link)
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