French Senate Approves New Two-Month Parental Birth Leave Starting 2027

On November 24, 2025, the French Senate approved a significant social policy allowing each parent up to two additional months of birth leave, effective January 1, 2027. This new leave complements existing maternity and paternity entitlements and aims to improve parental task division and support mothers postpartum.

President Emmanuel Macron first announced the initiative in January 2024 as part of efforts to confront declining birth rates in France. The leave can be taken either simultaneously or alternatively by both parents, offering flexibility. Senators removed a previous requirement for at least one month to be taken separately by each parent to better promote equitable parental responsibility sharing.

The law stipulates a compensation scheme where parents will receive 70% of their net salary during the first month and 60% in the second month, a plan announced by the government. Senator Laurence Rossignol emphasized the importance of limiting income loss to maintain the attractiveness of the leave, especially for fathers who generally earn more than mothers.

Currently, French mothers receive 16 weeks of paid maternity leave (which extends to 26 weeks for a third child), and fathers have a 28-day paid paternity leave. This new birth leave is distinct and does not replace the existing parental leave available until the child reaches three years old, which provides approximately 400 euros monthly.

Debate surrounded the effective date: deputies favored implementation from January 1, 2026, while senators preferred a delay to January 1, 2027. The Senate also opposed extending increased family allowances from age 14 to 18 to finance the leave.

Aurore Bergé, Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, stressed that the policy would offer more flexibility to parents, particularly aiding mothers in the postpartum period. Socialist Senator Rossignol described the measure as essential for nurturing the parental bond and balancing mental load in early child-rearing stages.

The new leave marks a landmark step toward fostering family equity and supporting parental involvement in France's evolving social landscape.