Same-sex marriage could soon be legalised in Germany after Angela Merkel softens stance
Comes ahead of the country's elections
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Your support makes all the difference.German politicians could vote to legalise same-sex marriage as early as this week after Angela Merkel signalled she would allow a free vote.
With an election looming in September the Chancellor, who has previously argued against changing the law, said she had noted pressure from other parties.
"I would like to lead the discussion more into a situation where it is a question of conscience rather than something I push through with a majority vote," she said.
Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) are pushing for a vote this week.
The issue became a hot election topic after Merkel's three potential coalition partners, including her current SPD partners, made it a condition for sharing power, effectively forcing the conservative Chancellor's hand.
The move could antagonise some in her traditionally Catholic conservative bloc, some of whom oppose any change.
SPD leader Martin Schulz said on Tuesday his party would push for a vote in parliament this week, before the start of the summer recess.
"I hope our colleagues in the conservatives will cooperate," he said, raising the pressure on his conservative partners - who want a vote after the election.
Mr Schulz needs to make up ground for his centre-left party in the election race and has sharpened his attacks on Ms Merkel, but he made clear he would not end the coalition.
Ms Merkel's conservatives accused him of acting irresponsibly.
"That is a breach of trust," said Volker Kauder, head of Ms Merkel's conservative bloc in parliament, adding the SPD's behaviour on such a sensitive topic showed it was "not suited to government".
With broad support among Germans for gay marriage, the law would likely get easy approval in the lower house of parliament if conservatives could vote according to their conscience and not face a party whip.
Polls put Ms Merkel's conservatives 10 to 15 points ahead of the SPD, but short of a parliamentary majority.
The SPD, pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens have made gay marriage, a step up from same-sex civil partnerships which have been allowed since 2001, a condition for a tie-up.
The country’s lesbian and gay federation, the LSVD, welcomed Ms Merkel's shift while describing it as a face-saving measure.
"After 15 years of an ideological blockade .. social pressure and the commitments of other parties have made an impact," said LSVD spokesman Axel Hochrein. "Equal rights for all people is part of our constitution," he said.
Reuters
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