The European Parliament has adopted a historic measure that allows female MEPs to vote by proxy during maternity leave, thus responding to long-standing pressures.

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a measure considered historic, allowing female MEPs to vote by proxy during maternity leave. This decision comes in response to prolonged pressures and situations where elected representatives have had to choose between motherhood responsibilities and political ones. MEP Chloe Ridel welcomed the measure, emphasizing its importance, especially in the context of tight votes in Parliament. Currently, female MEPs cannot vote remotely or entrust their vote to a colleague during maternity leave, which has generated frustrations.

The adopted measure is an important step, considering that some votes are decided by a narrow margin. A group of female MEPs has formed an initiative called 'United in Motherhood' to pressure Parliament and share experiences related to motherhood. Although the vote was received with enthusiasm, the measure must be validated by the 27 EU member states and ratified by national parliaments. Some MEPs, such as Daniel Freund, have called for the extension of this measure to fathers, emphasizing that no one should have to choose between career and family.