スペイン：市長が同性婚の司式、所属党内からも非難の声

The mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz Gallardon(2ndL) with his assistants arrive at the Mayor square in Madrid. Gallardon, of the main conservative opposition Popular Party, officiated for the first time at a gay marriage and came in for party flak as the PP is generally fiercely opposed to same-sex unions.(AFP/Pedro Armestre)

Madrid mayor accused of 'incoherence' after holding gay marriage
Sat Jul 29, 4:33 PM ET
AFP

Madrid mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon of the main conservative opposition Popular Party (PP) officiated for the first time at a gay marriage and came in for party flak as the PP is generally fiercely opposed to same-sex unions.

Ruiz Gallardon was all smiles as he turned up to oversee the ceremony between PP activist Javier Gomez and city council employee Manuel Rodenas.

Ruiz Gallardon is regarded as a party moderate -- but that did not stop political allies protesting after Gomez, who described Gallardon as a longstanding friend, and Rodenas tied the knot.

PP communications secretary Gabriel Elorriaga said the mayor's stance on the issue was "incoherent" when juxtaposed to party policy and called for "the greatest coherence and solidarity" with the wider party line.

Nonetheless, that line has been cracking in recent months, with another PP mayor performing the ceremony uniting a PP municipal councillor with his partner in traditionally conservative Galicia last April after the Socialist government legalized same-sex unions a year ago.

Galician PP regional leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo also attended that ceremony, even though the party had joined the Roman Catholic Church in protesting against the new law.

The PP appealed against the gay marriages ruling to the Constitutional Court on the grounds that the Spanish constitution only specifically mentions marriage between a man and a woman.

In respect of Ruiz Gallardon's officiating Saturday Elorriaga recognized that the party "has to carry out the law" as it now stands.

Ruiz Gallardon in a brief statement said that the ceremony "went off as weddings should do" after saying Friday that the law "must be applied."

More than 4,500 gay couples, four in five of them males, have married in Spain since the new law took effect.

2006年 07月 30日 00:14:13
市長が同性婚の司式、所属党内からも非難の声 - スペイン

【マドリード/スペイン 30日 AFP】野党国民党(PP)所属のアルベルト・ルイス・ガジャルドン（Alberto Ruiz Gallardon）マドリード（Madrid）市長が同性カップルの結婚式の司式をはじめて行ったことが議論を呼んでいる。結婚したのは同じPP所属のJavier Gomez議員と市議会職員のManuel Rodenas氏。PPは概して同性結婚に強く反対する保守派の急先鋒であることから、今回の市長の行動には非難の声が上がっている。ガジャルドン市長は式の間、終始笑みを絶やさなかった。写真は29日、自分たちの結婚式の後に笑顔をみせるGomez氏（右）とRodenas氏。(c)AFP/Pedro ARMESTRE