German politician proposes expiration date for marriage

[kay1864]

BERLIN (Reuters) - Bavaria's most glamorous politician -- a flame-haired motorcyclist who helped bring down state premier Edmund Stoiber -- has shocked the Catholic state in Germany by suggesting marriage should last just 7 years.

Gabriele Pauli, who poses on her web site (http://www.gabriele-pauli.de) in motorcycle leathers, is standing for the leadership of Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) -- sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) -- in a vote next week.

She told reporters at the launch of her campaign manifesto on Wednesday she wanted marriage to expire after seven years and accused the CSU, which promotes traditional family values, of nurturing ideals of marriage which are wide of the mark.

"The basic approach is wrong ... many marriages last just because people believe they are safe," she told reporters. "My suggestion is that marriages expire after seven years."

After that time, couples should either agree to extend their marriage or it should be automatically dissolved, she said.

Fifty-year-old Pauli, twice divorced, is a maverick intent on shaking up her male-dominated and mainly Catholic party which has dominated Bavarian politics since World War Two.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070921/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_germany_politics_marriage

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. I think it's a fantastic idea, though I might be tempted to go for four years.

[MissHoneychurch]

2. She is a needle in the side of the CSU

which is hilarious. I doubt she really means it. She is just pushing certain buttons with the old men in that party.

[kay1864]

3. She may not mean it as a serious proposal

but it appears she practices what she preaches :P



One more pic since I think she looks great for 50!

[MissHoneychurch]

4. True enough

I like her. She doesn't back down. She was the one who brought Stoiber down. The male politicians want to get rid of her and she doesn't bulk. I admire that.

[kay1864]

5. I'm curious now as to how long her marriages lasted

Can you check her (German) website and tell me please?

[MissHoneychurch]

6. It doesn't say

sorry. And Wikipedia only says who she was married with but not for how long.

[kay1864]

10. Thanks for looking!

The English Wikipedia site doesn't even say who she was married to.

:hi:

[Ellen Forradalom]

8. Looks great, period

50 or not. In good health and got the FIRE in her eyes!

[kay1864]

9. Agreed!

The fact that she's 50 just makes her more amazing.

I suspect her pool of potential suitors just got larger.

[cobalt1999]

7. You know, it's not really that bad of an idea.

She's right about couples sometimes taking each other for granted too.

Would I have to buy a new engagement ring each seven years?

[av8rdave]

11. Wow...well, if her next one dissolves anytime close to when mine does...

[BarenakedLady]

12. Sounds good to me!

:thumbsup:

[billyskank]

14. .

:hug:

[eppur_se_muova]

13. Old hat to SF fans ..

"Marriage contracts" of various lengths, usually of the signers' choice, are a staple for stories set in the future. The idea of a short (say 1-year) trial marriage, prior to a longer commitment, has been floated so many times no one remembers who suggested it first.