French parliament elects Yael Braun-Pivet as first ever woman speaker

Yael Braun-Pivet, who is part of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, became the first woman to be elected speaker of France’s lower house of parliament. The election took place in the parliament’s first session since the French elections results which saw Macron’s ruling party losing its majority. Braun-Pivet is a former Socialist Party member who joined Macron’s party in 2016 and although she is a relative newcomer to politics, she defeated her opponents in a secret ballot.

While Macron’s ruling party still has the highest number of seats, the leftist Nupes coalition established themselves as a formidable opposition in this year’s elections.

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On the other hand, the far-right party lead by Marine Le Pen also won a record number of seats as the government now faces challenges from both sides.

During the first session of the parliament, the overturning of Roe v Wade in the United States was a major topic of discussion with a number of lawmakers asking the government to inscribe the right to abortion in the French constitution.

“I think what happened in the United States is a warning to our democracies, and the French should be at the forefront of the rights and liberties for women,” said Benjamin Haddad, legislator from Macron’s party said according to a report by Associated Press.

Braun-Pivet’s appointment comes as good news for the women lawmakers in the French parliament who remain a minority and this will be her biggest role after heading the Assembly’s Law Committee for the past five years.

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(With inputs from agencies)