Overview

• The French Parliament has definitively adopted a law requiring gender parity on electoral lists for municipalities with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, starting in 2026.
• This reform addresses a significant gender imbalance, as women currently make up only 37.6% of councillors in these smaller communes compared to 48.5% in larger ones.
• The legislative process was marked by heated debates and session suspensions, revealing fractures within political factions, including Macron's coalition.
• Proposed reforms to the municipal voting system in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, including changes to voting rounds and majority thresholds, remain under discussion in Parliament.
• Critics argue that the broader electoral reforms could centralize power and disadvantage certain groups, while proponents emphasize the need for democratic fairness.