BERLIN (Sputnik) – A total of 393 votes were cast in favor of the legislation, with 226 against and four parliamentarians abstaining.
According to media reports, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she had voted against the new legislation. However, she expressed hope that the passed bill would be a step toward more social peace and unity.
Same-sex marriage is the subject of controversy between the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the alliance of the German Christian Democratic Union (SDU) party, led by Merkel, and its Bavarian sister party Christian Social Union (CSU). The CDU/CSU alliance has 310 mandates of 630 seats in the Bundestag.
On Monday, SPD leader Martin Schulz accused Merkel of "attack on democracy," noting that the chancellor was allegedly blocking the initiatives of his party, including the bill on same-sex marriage.
