Women in parliaments: France makes it

In France, the Thuringian judges, the memories of the own difficulties, to increase the proportion of women in politics. Already in 1982, the Supreme constitutional court, the Conseil Constitutionnel, a law on compulsory women's quota of 25 per cent in the municipal elections tipped. The "Wise men" of the French constitutional Council argued at the time, similar to the Thuringian constitutional court judges that the law was in breach of the Constitution guaranteed freedom of choice. In 1997, the government undertook a constitutional reform effort, the parity in the basic law to anchor. On 8. July 1999 supplemented article 1 of the French Constitution. He is since then: "The law promotes the equal access of women and men to elective mandates and electoral posts as well as to the leadership positions in the professional and social area-based."

Michaela Wiegel

Political correspondent, based in Paris.

The political parties will be transmitted with the amendment of the Constitution with the task to contribute to the fulfilment of this objective. "You contribute, under the terms established by law on the implementation of the second paragraph of article 1 contained in the principle", - stated in article 4 of the French Constitution. On 6. In June 2000, the act came into force, the guarantees since the "equal access of women and men to electoral mandates and elective offices". First of all, it was only in the elections to the national Assembly application.