On the evening of Monday 16 June, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, informed the Bureau of the European Parliament of new initiatives designed to help MEPs better reconcile their parental lives with their electoral mandate.
Between now and the autumn, the Bureau will be examining a targeted revision of the Members’ Statute to include a specific chapter on maternity leave, building on existing rights. In particular, a pregnant MEP already has the right to be excused from work meetings in the context of her electoral mandate three months before and six months after the birth of a child. This right will be extended to other parental situations, the Parliament points out in a press release.
On Thursday 26 June, at the European Council, Ms Metsola will propose to EU leaders a targeted revision of EU electoral law to introduce a proxy voting system that will enable MEPs on parental leave to delegate their vote to an MEP of their choice at plenary sessions they are unable to attend.
“No elected representative should have to choose between their mandate and parenthood”, said Ms Metsola. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)