Marine Tondelier has also made her pregnancy a political issue. The leader of the ecologists, a presidential candidate, announced on Monday, March 30, that she was pregnant after a miscarriage and unsuccessful fertility treatments. She advocated for the possibility of analyzing embryos before insemination through pre-implantation diagnosis, currently prohibited in France, sparking discussion in the Assembly.
In the Palais Bourbon, everyone is talking about this pregnancy. “There is a life outside the hemicycle that is abundant and rich,” emphasizes Marie-Charlotte Garin, a very involved ecologist deputy. She is pleased to see that one can talk about their private life. “The model of the politician, often men, is a powerful and invulnerable body relationship, and I don’t believe in that,” states the elected representative. “The message we are conveying is that there is room for everyone in politics,” she continues, wanting to show vulnerability and humanize political leaders.
“Un certain nombre de tabous” (“A number of taboos”)
Constance de Pelichy, an independent deputy, had a miscarriage while in office and chose to speak about it publicly. “If my personal story can serve this fight and this subject, I gladly do it,” she explains. She feels a responsibility to break the silence around these issues given her role.
Mathilde Hignet, a rebellious member, pregnant twice during her term, also tried to create a maternity leave for deputies, which did not pass. “These moments also allow us to bring all this into public debate, to realize that today, women are forced to adapt to a patriarchal system,” denounces the Breton elected official. She regrets that it is still not possible to be replaced during pregnancy.
