Pregnant members of the European Parliament will be allowed to delegate their vote during their time off with their newborns in a landmark step for women in politics.

Until now, the European Parliament did not allow online or proxy voting – meaning a delegated vote passed to another member of the parliament.

With the changes approved this week, pregnant women will be able to delegate their vote three months before giving birth and six months afterwards. The motion passed with 605 votes in favor out of the 640 represented in the chamber.

Laura Ballarín, of the S&D, is expecting a child and welcomed the move, arguing that votes can go to the wire and each person matters. She said the move, if applied on time, will allow her to keep representing her constituents.

“I don’t like having to choose between having to recover physically after giving birth and my right to vote,” Ballarín told Euronews. Having a child, she argued, should not represent a setback for women at work.

While the delegated vote has been approved by the European Parliament, it now needs to be approved unanimously by the European Council. Then it will have to be ratified by the national parliaments before it enters into force.

“We must encourage more women to stand for election; we must empower them to take their place at the decision-making table”, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said during a press conference after the vote on Thursday.

Following the European elections in June 2024, the Parliament experienced the biggest percentage drop in female representation since the first direct elections in 1979.

Women now make up 38.5% of MEPs – 277 out of 720 – 2.1% fewer than in the previous legislature.

No amendments on fatherhood

The new rules will apply to women only.

While progressive forces of the parliament tried to include fathers, they had to dial down their initial ambition to reach a compromise with the rest of political forces.

“I had to choose between voting the climate law or seeing my child being born,” German Green MEP Daniel Freund told Euronews. The choice, he argued in the end was clear: his family.

But the predicament raises serious questions.

The European parliament issued last year an EU-wide directive which regulates maternity and parental leave to include both parents. The idea being that maternity leave tends to impact a woman’s career more than it does for a man as the time spent away from work is usually longer.

“In this Parliament, we have legislated on maternity and paternity leave for both and we have introduced that right for all Europeans. We should lead by example,” Freund added.

As for Ballarín, who is expecting her baby early next year, both parents play an important role in bringing up a child.

“Fathers should also be able to stay home with a newborn without skipping their democratic duty,” Ballarín told Euronews, referring to her male colleagues in the chamber.

Unable to reach the hemicycle

Members of the European Parliament must cast their vote in person in Brussels or in Strasbourg, which involves travel for the 720-members of the chamber.

“We need to make sure that if you are physically impeded from travelling to Strasbourg or to Brussels to vote, then you should not lose that right”, said President Metsola.

For the time being, the reform will only apply to pregnancy or birth but doesn’t consider other impediments such as long-term sickness. Online voting was tested during the pandemic and worked during the lockdown phase, but it was not extended beyond.

Some argue the system proved that it possible to vote without being present in the room and could be helpful for MEPs who are suffering from an illness, or physical impediment.

LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) – Britain said it would make refugee status temporary and the wait for permanent settlement would be quadrupled to 20 years under the country’s most sweeping overhaul of policy on asylum seekers in modern times.

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The government said it would take inspiration from Denmark’s approach, one of the toughest in Europe – where growing anti-immigrant sentiment has led to increased restrictions in many countries – and widely criticised by rights groups.

TEMPORARY STATUS SUBJECT TO REVIEW

As part of the changes, the statutory duty to provide support to certain asylum seekers, including housing and weekly allowances, will be revoked, the Home Office (interior ministry) said in a statement issued late on Saturday.

The department, led by Shabana Mahmood, said the measures would apply to asylum seekers who can work but choose not to, and to those who break the law. It said that taxpayer-funded support would be prioritised for those contributing to the economy and local communities.

The Home Office also said that protection for refugees would “now be temporary, regularly reviewed and revoked” if the home country was deemed safe.

“Our system is particularly generous compared to other countries in Europe, where, after five years, you’re effectively automatically settled in this country. We will change that,” Mahmood told Sky News on Sunday.

She added that under the changes, a refugee’s status would be reviewed every two-and-a-half years, during “a much longer path to permanent settlement in this country of 20 years”.

Mahmood said she would provide further details of the changes on Monday, including an announcement on Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

The government has said it wants to stay in the ECHR but change how the Article 8 provision, covering the right to a family life, is interpreted.

Mahmood said it was being “applied in a way that is designed to frustrate the removal of those that, under our immigration rules, would not have the right to be in this country.”

The government’s tougher approach has drawn criticism. More than 100 British charities wrote to Mahmood urging her to “end the scapegoating of migrants and performative policies that only cause harm”, saying such steps are fuelling racism and violence.

A total of 109,343 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending March 2025, a 17% rise on the previous year and 6% above the 2002 peak of 103,081.

Mahmood said the government would look to open more “safe and legal” routes for asylum seekers, as she believed Britain should play its part in helping those fleeing danger.

UK GOVERNMENT INSPIRED BY DENMARK, OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The Home Office said its reforms would look to “match and in some areas exceed” the standards of Denmark and other European countries, where refugee status is temporary, support is conditional and integration in society is expected.

The Home Office said Denmark’s more restrictive immigration policies had reduced asylum claims to a 40-year low and resulted in the deportation of 95% of rejected applicants.

Denmark’s reforms, implemented while it remains a signatory to the ECHR, have drawn sharp criticism. Rights groups say the measures foster a hostile climate for migrants, undermine protection and leave asylum seekers in prolonged limbo.

Britain’s Refugee Council said on X that refugees do not compare asylum systems while fleeing danger, and that they come to the UK because of family ties, some knowledge of English, or existing connections that help them start anew safely.

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Drastic changes are coming to Great Britain’s asylum policy, including longer wait times for permanent residency and a forced return to the person’s home country once it is deemed safe.

The shift represents the largest overhaul of policy on asylum seekers in modern times. It was inspired by Denmark, which has one of the toughest policies in Europe and has been widely scrutinized by rights groups.

Britain’s Labor government has been toughening its stance on immigration, as it seeks to address the surging popularity of the populist Reform U.K. party, which has taken a strict approach to immigration.

The new changes include revoking the statutory duty to provide housing and financial support to certain asylum seekers, the Home Office said in a statement.

REFORM UK PROPOSES DEPORTING 600,000 ASYLUM SEEKERS IN SWEEPING NEW IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

It also said refugees would have to wait 20 years to apply for permanent residency instead of the current five years, the period of initial refugee status would be cut from five years to two and a half, rules around family reunions would be stricter, and refugees would be encouraged or forced to return to their home country once it is considered safe.

The department said the measures would apply to asylum seekers who can work but choose not to, as well as those who break the law. Taxpayer-funded support would be prioritized for people contributing to the economy and local communities.

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The Home Office said the changes aim to make the U.K. less attractive to illegal migrants and make it easier to remove people whose claims are denied.

“This country has a proud tradition of welcoming those fleeing danger, but our generosity is drawing illegal migrants across the Channel,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said. “The pace and scale of migration is placing immense pressure on communities.”

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More than 100 British charities called on Mahmood to “end the scapegoating of migrants and performative policies that only cause harm,” arguing that the measures are fueling racism and violence.

Britain’s Refugee Council said on X that refugees do not compare asylum systems when attempting to flee danger. It said they aim for the U.K. because of family ties, some knowledge of English or connections that can help them start over safely.

Reuters contributed to this report.