In a vote on Thursday, Parliament initiated the legislative procedure to amend the EU Electoral Act.
Under the proposed rules, an MEP who is pregnant or has recently given birth may delegate her plenary vote to another MEP for up to three months before the estimated date of birth and six months after childbirth. This targeted reform aims to strengthen maternity rules, enabling MEPs to continue exercising their mandates fully while balancing their health and family responsibilities with their parliamentary duties.
The legislative proposal, drafted by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, was adopted by show of hands. The accompanying resolution received 605 votes in favour and 30 against, with five abstentions.
Quotes
Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola, who initiated this revision process earlier this year, commented: “I am proud of our House’s work on this landmark proposal. As a politician and a woman, I can only hope that the member states will agree with us that the modernisation of our voting rules is long overdue – and do everything they can to bring the European Parliament’s rules up to speed with the 21st century. No woman should have to choose between serving her voters and having children.”
Rapporteur Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES), said: “No elected representative should ever have to choose between their vote and their child. Introducing proxy voting for MEPs on maternity leave strengthens democratic representation and ensures that voters’ voices continue to be heard in the months before and after childbirth. This measure also gives fresh momentum to the ongoing, ambitious reform of the Electoral Act and supports our broader goal of promoting gender equality and work–life balance by encouraging parents to participate fully in political life”.
A recording of the press point with President Roberta Metsola and rapporteur Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, Spain) following the plenary vote is available on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre.
Next steps
The legislative proposal will now be submitted to the Council for unanimous approval by the member states. If modified, the new draft law will need to be endorsed by more than half of sitting MEPs. Finally, for the new rules to enter into force, all EU countries will have to approve them in line with their respective constitutional procedures.
Background
The reform is part of the European Parliament’s broader commitment to gender equality, inclusivity, and work–life balance, promoting the participation of mothers in politics. By formalising proxy voting, Parliament is seeking to improve institutional fairness and set an example for national legislatures, ensuring that parental responsibilities do not prevent elected representatives from contributing effectively to the legislative process. Currently, only three EU countries (Spain, Greece and Luxembourg) have formal provisions enabling parliamentarians to vote in absentia for maternity reasons.
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