Germany's
former foreign minister Guido Westerwelle has used his first major interview
since September's elections to call on Chancellor Angela Merkel to do more on
same-sex marriage.
In an
interview with German magazine Stern, the openly-gay Westerwelle, said it was
time for Merkel to "decide" on what direction she would take on the
issue.
Westerwelle
had stepped back from the public light after his party, the Free Democrats
(FDP), failed to claim at least 5 percent of votes in Germany's September election, meaning they were unable to earn a place in parliament.
As part of
the coalition between the Christian Democratics (CDU) and the FDP, Westerwelle
had served as Merkel's vice chancellor from 2009 and 2011. He believes,
however, his former colleague can do more on the issue of gay rights.
Despite the
FDP's poor showing at the polls, Westerwelle said he hoped "the progress
made during our term in government" would be completed in Merkel's third
term, "namely the complete legal equality of same-sex partnerships and
marriage."
He said
Germany had yet to achieve that equality, adding of Merkel: "Now she has
to decide."
Issue
outstanding
Westerwelle
has lived in a civil partnership with Michael Mronz since 2010. German
parliament approved a law granting same-sex couples equal tax rights in June
2013, but same-sex marriage is still not recognized.
It loomed
as an issue in negotiations over the 'grand coalition' agreed upon between the
CDU and the Social Democrats (SPD) in November, but the law remained unchanged.
Merkel's
government issued a positive response to the coming out of former Germany
football international Thomas Hitzlsperger on January 8.
"We
judge footballers by whether they conduct themselves well and with dignity on
and off the pitch, and I believe both are true for Mr. Hitzlsperger,"
government spokesman Steffen Seibert said after the former Aston Villa and
Stuttgart midfielder's announcement.
ph/dr (dpa, AP)
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