Tensions rise as French parliament gets set for final gay marriage debate

Details 17 Apr 2013

The Telegraph, UK

Tensions are mounting in France over a divisive gay marriage bill as a final parliamentary debate begins amid government claims that "extremist groups" are seeking to "destabilise the republic" with violent protests.

Increasingly radical opponents of Socialist president François Hollande's plan to legalise gay marriage and adoption are on the warpath after it emerged on Monday that a final vote on the legislation is to be brought forward to next week.

After passing through the National Assembly and the Senate, the "marriage for all" bill, which the government calls the most important since the abolition of the death penalty, requires a second reading from the lower parliament.

The final vote was supposed to take place in May but the executive branch of parliament has now decided to bring it forward to April 23, and to halve the debating time from 50 to 25 hours - apparently to avoid more mass demonstrations.

A huge protest in Paris last month - the second this year - ended in scuffles and tear gas as gay marriage opponents sought to break through police barriers to march down the Champs Elysées.

The movement has acted as a lightning rod for many Right-wingers and traditionalists who claim the Socialist administration is leading France to economic and social ruin.

Ratcheting up the rhetoric has been the movement's figurehead - a peroxide blonde comedian-turned-activist calling herself Frijide Barjot - a play on words that sounds like Brigitte Bardot, the French actress, but means "frigid crazy person".

Branding the Socialist president a dictator, she has said: "Hollande wants blood and he'll get it."

Miss Barjot later admitted the comments "went a bit far."

With the bill set to become law within days, its opponents have called for fresh demonstrations on April 21, two days before the final vote, and on the day itself. Even if it passes, they have called for a mass demonstration on May 26.

Hervé Mariton, spokesman for the anti-gay marriage movement from the mainstream Right-wing opposition UMP party, likened the decision to speed up the parliamentary timetable to a "legislative coup d'état".

Christian Jacob, the UMP's parliamentary group leader, said it was a sign of "panic" by an administration desperate to divert French public attention away from a damaging tax fraud scandal. His party wants the vote postponed.

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