Overview
- Angela Merkel said in the podcast 'Kaffee und Fluchen' on Friday that she would vote for marriage equality if the Bundestag voted today.
- In 2017 Merkel removed party discipline to allow a free Bundestag vote but personally voted No, a decision she has since described as a source of regret.
- Merkel told the podcast she had "verschiedenste Sorgen" in 2017, citing specific practical questions around surrogacy and children that influenced her No vote.
- Official data cited in the coverage show continued uptake of same-sex marriage, with the Statistisches Bundesamt reporting 108,000 same-sex married couples and 8,884 same-sex marriages in 2025.
- The remark reinforces a longer shift that Merkel outlined in her 2024 autobiography and could fuel renewed debate inside the CDU/CSU about the party's stance while underscoring how the law has affected the lives of same-sex couples in Germany.