Members of the European Parliament vote during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on April 29, 2026. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP
The European Parliament on Wednesday, April 29, voted to allow EU lawmakers who are pregnant or on maternity leave to vote by proxy. The reform, voted through to applause in the chamber in Strasbourg, will allow MEPs to pick a colleague to vote in their place for up to three months before their child's expected due date and six months after they give birth.
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"This is progress, this is real representation, this is a modern parliament," said the chamber's President Roberta Metsola, herself a mother of four. The measure must still be ratified by the European Union's 27 members before coming into force. Until then, MEPs are not allowed to delegate their vote under any circumstances.
