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The European Parliament has approved a reform allowing female Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to temporarily delegate their voting rights during pregnancy and after giving birth, in what officials described as a major step towards greater gender equality and work-life balance within EU institutions.
Under the revised rules, female MEPs will be able to entrust their vote to a colleague for up to three months before their due date and for six months after childbirth. The measure introduces a temporary exception to Parliament’s long-standing requirement for in-person voting.
The reform was adopted during a plenary session on Tuesday with 616 votes in favour, 24 against and eight abstentions.
According to the European Parliament, the changes are intended to ensure that elected representatives do not have to choose between parliamentary duties and family responsibilities, while maintaining transparency, accountability and the integrity of the voting process.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who initiated the reform, described the decision as “a big milestone for a more modern and just Parliament”.
“No member should lose her right to vote because of becoming a mother,” Metsola said, adding that she would continue working with EU member states and national parliaments to ensure swift ratification of the amendment.
Rapporteur Juan Fernando López Aguilar said the reform was a “practical, carefully defined change” that protects both the personal nature of parliamentary mandates and the rights of mothers serving in elected office.
He added that the amendment ensures “motherhood does not mean elected representatives should ever have to choose between their vote and their child”.
The reform follows efforts launched by Parliament in November 2025 to revise the EU Electoral Act. The Council of the European Union agreed to amendments in March 2026, including additional safeguards relating to transparency and vote integrity.
Before the changes can officially enter into force, the revised Electoral Act must still be formally adopted by the Council and ratified by all EU member states according to their constitutional procedures.
The European Parliament said the reform forms part of its commitment to equality, inclusion and ensuring parental responsibilities do not hinder political representation.
