French President Nicolas Sarkozy on
Tuesday said that if reelected he would not support reform of a
partnership law to allow gay marriage.
The 57-year-old Sarkozy made his
remarks during a wide-ranging interview with France Inter.
“For me, a family is a father and a
mother, not two fathers or two mothers,” Sarkozy said.
He repeated his claim that “to have a
child … requires a man and woman,” but added that that does not
mean that a gay couple could not adequately raise a child.
Sarkozy also insisted that he hates
homophobia.
In January, government officials denied
media reports that the president was preparing to include gay
marriage in his reelection platform.
Sarkozy “didn't change his mind, he
is not favorable to gay marriage,” tweeted Valerie Pecresse, a
minister in the Union for a Popular Movement Party.
Since 1999 France has recognized gay
and lesbian couples with PACS, a form of domestic partnership. The
law offers significantly fewer protections than marriage and gay
couples are barred from joint adoption of children.
During the 2007 presidential race,
Sarkozy pledged to reform PACS into something closer to the UK's
civil partnership. However, the law has not changed.
Socialist Party presidential candidate
Francois Hollande – who bills himself as “Mr. Normal,” a dig at
Sarkozy, who has earned the nickname “President Bling Bling” –
supports legalizing marriage and adoption for gay couples.
A first round of voting is next Sunday
and the second on May 6.