German parliament legalises same-sex marriage

Germany's parliament voted on Friday 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.

German lawmakers have agreed to put the legalisation of same-sex marriage to a vote in parliament's last session before its summer break, paving the way for the likely passage of the law.

Bringing the measure to a vote in today's session, the last before September elections, was fast-tracked after Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday lawmakers could take up the issue as a "question of conscience," freeing members of her conservative coalition, which has been against same-sex marriage, to individually vote for the measure.

Germany has allowed same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships since 2001, but same-sex marriages remain illegal.

All of Merkel's potential coalition partners after the Sept. 4 election, including the center-left Social Democrats of her challenger, Martin Schulz, have been calling for same- sex marriage to be legalized.