Parliament back change to allow proxy voting before and after childbirth 

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• Proxy voting exclusively for plenary sessions
• Delegated vote permitted three months before an expected birth until six months after childbirth
• MEPs can hold only one delegated vote at a time

On Thursday, Parliament endorsed changes to the statute governing the work of MEPs to allow them to delegate their voting rights before and after childbirth.

The proposed changes were approved with 578 votes for, 25 against and 4 abstentions, paving the way for pregnant MEPs and new mothers to delegate their votes in plenary. The aim is to help mothers participate in politics while upholding transparency, accountability and the integrity of parliamentary voting. The revised rules would allow MEPs to arrange for another member to vote on their behalf three months before the expected birth and six months after childbirth. This delegation of voting rights would be voluntary and could also be withdrawn.

The proposed framework includes safeguards to ensure delegated votes remain transparent and accountable. Both the MEP transferring the vote and the member exercising it would be identified in the minutes of the relevant sitting and in the published voting records. Proxy votes would be included when calculating quorums, voting thresholds and majorities. Any disagreement by the member who delegated their vote would not change the outcome of the vote, while corrections could be made in line with the standard procedures. The restriction allowing each MEP to exercise no more than one delegated vote at any one time is intended to preserve the integrity of the process.

By introducing this mechanism, Parliament is seeking to reduce barriers to political engagement for women during pregnancy and early motherhood and advance gender equality within its institutions.

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Lara Wolters (S&D, NL), rapporteur for the Legal Affairs Committee, said: “Today’s vote is a step towards a more fair and representative parliament, giving women the options they need in modern life. We want to represent those who elected us, but we also want to be there for our newborns. I am proud of today’s vote, but I wish we could be doing the same for young fathers, or for MEPs adopting children. That is a fight we’ll need to continue waging.”

Next steps

Under article 223(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the European Commission must provide its opinion and the Council must give its consent before Parliament can hold a final vote. The new provisions will take effect once all EU Member States have ratified the amended the European Electoral Act. You can track their progress on the Council’s dedicated webpage.

Background

The initiative was launched by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in 2025 as part of Parliament’s broader efforts to reduce barriers to political engagement during pregnancy and early motherhood, promote gender equality and bring working arrangements in representative institutions in line with modern needs. The Council adopted the required amendments to the European Electoral Act in May 2026, establishing the basis for the proposed introduction of proxy voting.