Merkel, who had repeatedly voiced her opposition to gay marriage, said that lawmakers could vote according to their conscience, and not toe the party line.

Germany introduced civil unions for gay and lesbian couples in 2001, but they do not have the right to marry.

“I would like to orient the discussion in a direction which raises the question of a decision according to conscience rather than imposing anything,” she told Brigitte, a women’s magazine.

In a vote of conscience on gay marriage in the Bundestag (German parliament), a win for the proposal would be assured, according to DPA.

The centre-left Social Democrats, as well as the Greens and the Free Democrats, have made legalizing gay marriage a condition to any coalition talks they will enter into after the national election in September.

This is a significant shift for Merkel, who in 2013 said she opposed same-sex marriages for “the well-being of children.”

Merkel’s Christian Democratic Party has so far opposed gay marriage in order not to alienate its most conservative supporters and to avoid entering into a conflict with its ally, the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) which strongly backs the concept of traditional families.

The CDU and the CSU are due on Monday to present their common programme ahead of the September 24th legislative election.

Several politicians responded to Merkel’s comments by calling for a vote on gay marriage before the election – ideally this week.

Merkel’s party colleague Stefan Kaufmann, wrote on Twitter, “Thanks Angela Merkel. How liberating! In my opinion we should hold a vote this week.”