Germany could get a gay Foreign Minister

In 2004,Westerwelle made public his long-standing relationship with businessman Michael Mronz. Later,he even took along press photographers when he went to visit his partner’s mother,who referred to him as her “son-in-law”.

However,critics say with a gay foreign minister,Germany’s bilateral engagements with some conservative countries could become difficult. A senior German Foreign Ministry official told The Indian Express that it “might” be difficult to do diplomacy with Islamic nations with Westerwelle as Foreign Minister.

“Recently,the Iranian President was seen publicly gloating after the execution of two gay men in his country. Would Westerwelle be able to do business with leaders like that?” asked the official who didn’t wish to be named.

However,Westerwelle has his supporters too. Says Prof Volker Perthes,Director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs,“The world has changed and the sexual orientation of a politician will not come in the way of matters of state.”

Westerwelle remains steadfast. “Some countries may have had a problem with Angela Merkel becoming the first female Chancellor. And,naturally,she doesn’t wear a veil when she visits Arab states. It was up to the outside world to accept German representatives based on our own political and moral standards,” he told reporters at Munich Oktoberfest on Thursday.