Hungary: All Women Who Want An Abortion Must Listen To Its Heartbeat First

From today, all women in Hungary who want an abortion must listen to the baby’s heartbeat before going through with the procedure.

The new rule came into force after an announcement by Minister of the Interior Sándor Pintér.

“The presented medical findings must record that the healthcare provider presented the factor indicating the vital functions of the fetus to the pregnant woman in a clearly identifiable manner,” said the minister.

Pintér asserted that a new law wasn’t necessary to mandate the requirement, which is merely a continuation of the 1992 abortion law.

However, Tímea Szabó, co-chair of the left-wing Párbeszéd party, believes the rule is a pre-cursor to a total ban on abortion and has called for it to be rescinded.

As we previously highlighted, Hungary is trying to encourage its native population to have more children in other ways too.

Back in 2019, Hungary announced it would hand out €30,600 to married couples who have three or more children.

A married couple receives the €30,600 as a loan from the government upon getting married. The loan then has to be repaid until the couple has three children. At this point, the debt is completely forgiven.

Unlike other European countries, Hungary is trying to ensure that it does not become dependent on mass immigration to maintain its population levels.

Back in 2020, the country’s current president, Katalin Novák, who was then family minister, celebrated the fact that the policies were working.

“The recent demographic figures speak for themselves; the number of marriages is at a 40-year high, and the fertility rate is at a 20-year high, while the number of divorces hasn’t been as low as last year in the last six decades,” said Novák.