German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday she voted against legalising gay marriage given her personal view that marriage should be between a man and a woman, but she hoped for the parliament's approval of the measure would lead to more social cohesion.
"For me, marriage in the Basic Law is marriage between a man and a woman and that is why I did not vote in favour of this bill today," she told reporters moments after the 393-266 vote in favour of an amendment that will legalise same-sex marriage.
I hope that the vote today not only promotes respect between different opinions, but also brings more social cohesion and peace
The parliament voted to legalise gay marriage after Chancellor Angela Merkel did an about-face that freed members of conservative party to vote their "conscience" rather than follow party lines.
Norbert Lammert, President of the parliament, said 393 lawmakers voted to approve the amendment, while 226 voted against and four abstained.
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