The annual Pride parade in Paris, scheduled for October 3, 2026, has sparked renewed debate over surrogacy (gestation for others) in France, a subject that remains controversial despite ongoing legal disputes. The Inter-LGBT, which organizes the event, is pushing for the legal recognition of children born through surrogacy when at least one parent is French, without necessarily advocating for the full legalization of surrogacy. Alexandre Schon, co-president of the organization, explained that the goal is to allow families who cannot have children in France to return home without encountering legal uncertainty. In July 2026, the French Supreme Court ruled that decisions from foreign courts establishing parentage for children born through surrogacy must be recognized in France. This followed a case involving a French couple living in Canada, where surrogacy is legal, who had previously won an appeal in June 2024 but faced a cassation appeal by the prosecution. The court's decision allows for the transcription of foreign civil acts for the biological parent, typically the person who provided sperm, but the second parent would still need to adopt the child. The process now involves seeking judicial recognition of the foreign birth certificate, followed by a French court ruling, and then applying to the central civil registry for a French birth certificate listing both parents. Despite this legal clarification, the process remains complex and lengthy, with estimates ranging from one to 18 months. Nicolas Faget, spokesperson for the Association of Gay and Lesbian Parents, criticized the lack of procedural simplification, while lawyer Caroline Mécary noted that judges often face a delicate balance between securing the child's filiation and upholding France's surrogacy ban. President Emmanuel Macron has consistently opposed the legalization of surrogacy, reaffirming this stance in 2023 when he rejected calls for legal changes. However, the topic has resurfaced in the context of the upcoming presidential election. Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a potential 2027 candidate, has proposed a debate and vote within his party to legalize surrogacy, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations, including the compensation of surrogate mothers. This proposal has faced resistance, with government spokesperson Maud Bregeon expressing strong opposition, and a group of 15 personalities, including supporters of Macron and figures from both left and right, rejecting the idea, arguing that an ethical form of surrogacy does not exist. In response, several members of the Socialist Party have advocated for a "demarchandized" and "regulated" form of surrogacy, where the state plays a significant role. They argue that the current ban is a facade, as those who can afford it can still access surrogacy abroad. However, no prominent figures from the left, such as former President François Hollande or current Socialist Party leaders, have publicly supported this stance. Political figures from different parties have taken varied positions. Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France insoumise expressed a "paradoxical" stance in 2021, opposing surrogacy but supporting the recognition of children born abroad. Marine Le Pen of the National Rally called surrogacy a "mortal deviation" in 2022, while some members of her party acknowledged internal debate on the issue. The extent to which surrogacy will become a significant issue in the 2027 presidential campaign remains uncertain, given that societal issues have not been decisive in previous elections.