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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and members of the lower house of parliament Bundestag vote on legalising same-sex marriage, in Berlin, Germany June 30, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

ELECTION TOPIC

Same-sex marriage became a hot election topic after three parties - the Social Democrats (SPD), the pro-business Free Democrats and the Greens - each made it a condition for joining any future coalition with Merkel's conservatives, effectively forcing her hand. The SPD is part of the current coalition.

At an event hosted by women's magazine "Brigitte" this week Merkel spoke of a "dramatic experience" when she told a lesbian in her home constituency how she had struggled with the idea of same-sex couples adopting children.

Merkel said the woman had responded: "I tell you what, come and visit me in my home, where I live with my lesbian partner and eight foster children. The foster children have been with us for many years, and I think they are doing well."

The SPD then pushed for Friday's vote. The swift, untroubled passing of the legislation contrasts with the experience of neighbouring France, where the issue was a political hot potato for months, triggering mass street protests.

Erika Steinbach, an independent lawmaker who quit Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in protest over her open-door policy towards asylum seekers, accused the chancellor of betraying the party's values in pursuit of electoral advantage.

"It runs against the CDU's own party programme, which sees marriage as being between a man and a woman, so CDU decisions are clearly not worth the paper they are written on. It would be hard to exaggerate how excruciating this is," said Steinbach.

The right-wing, anti-Islam Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which opposed marriage equality, accused Merkel of "abandoning the last conservative nuances her party had".

The Catholic Church said it regretted the decision.

"An appreciation of same-sex cohabitation can also be expressed by a different institutional design," said Archbishop Heiner Kochof of Berlin.

Political analysts say the issue will likely have faded from voters' minds by the time the September election comes around.

The vote marks a rare victory for the SPD, who are trailing the conservatives in opinion polls. SPD General Secretary Hubertus Heil accused Merkel of political cowardice over her decision to make the issue a matter of private conscience.

"After 17 years with her at the top, the CDU has become cowardly," he told RND news. "Hers is a politics of no conviction."

The same-sex bill will likely be signed into law by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier some time after July 7.

Reuters