A group of 55 San Marino mothers, with children born or due in 2026, are appealing to lawmakers to swiftly approve the reform on family policy and birth-rate support, also asking that the law include retroactive application.
In their statement, the signatories express “deep disappointment” over the latest postponement of the bill during July’s Council session, recalling that they had welcomed the proposal with confidence since the start of their pregnancies. “We had hoped for real change: the chance not to be forced back to work when our baby is just three months old,” the statement reads.
The mothers stress that “the first six months of life are crucial for a child’s health and development” and argue that “such an early separation from the mother can be traumatic, affecting the newborn’s emotional and relational wellbeing.” At the same time, they point out that for the mother, “being forced to part with her baby at such a delicate stage can feel like a form of psychological violence.”
Under current San Marino law, mothers receive full pay for the first 150 days of maternity leave. After that, leave can be extended, but only at 40% of salary — a solution the signatories say is difficult for many families to sustain.
The postponed bill, by contrast, proposed extending leave with an allowance equal to 80% of salary for an additional three months.
The mothers make clear they respect “women who freely choose to return to work earlier,” but insist that every family should be able to decide without being pressured by financial constraints.
The appeal closes with a direct request to the Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale): “We sincerely hope that this law will be approved as soon as possible and that it will include the retroactivity that is unfairly penalizing so many working mothers.” The statement is signed by 55 mothers of children born or due in 2026.
