PARIS : France on Wednesday launched new paid 
leave for both mothers and fathers, as President Emmanuel Macron seeks to 
boost the country's sluggish birth rate.

In 2024, Macron unveiled a plan to combat infertility and the declining birth 
rate, saying it would help pave the way towards what he described as France's 
"demographic re-armament".

Until now, paid maternity leave in France has been just under four months for 
a first child, while fathers have been entitled to 28 days of leave following 
a birth.

Under the new rules, which came into force on Wednesday, mothers and fathers 
can now share an additional leave of one or two months on top of existing 
entitlements.

Parents will receive 70 percent of their net salary during the first month 
and 60 percent during the second.

The new provisions apply to parents of children born on or after January 1, 
2026. Adoptive parents are also eligible.

Fertility rates are declining across the European Union.

France last year -- for the first time since the end of World War II -- 
recorded fewer babies born than people dying in the country, according to the 
National Statistics Institute.

Feminist groups say the reform falls short and is unlikely to improve gender 
equality. They note that the lower-earning partner -- typically the woman -- 
is more likely to take the additional leave.