"Listen to the Fetal Heartbeat Before Abortion"... Controversy Over Hungary's Enforcement Decree

Far-Right Politician Welcomes "New Life Protection Measures"
Human Rights Groups Oppose, Saying "Trauma for Women Struggling to Continue Pregnancy"

Hungary recently announced an executive order mandating women who wish to terminate their pregnancies to listen to the fetal heartbeat. Image=Pixabay

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] "If you want to have an abortion, first listen to the fetal heartbeat."

Hungary recently announced an executive order requiring women who wish to terminate their pregnancies to listen to the fetal heartbeat regardless of their own will.

According to foreign media such as The Times of the UK, S?ndor Pint?r, Hungary's Minister of the Interior, announced the executive order mandating the listening to the fetal heartbeat before pregnancy termination and implemented it from the 15th.

Under the new executive order, Hungarian women who want to terminate their pregnancies must submit a confirmation form stating that they have clearly confirmed "elements showing the life functions of the fetus" after listening to the fetal heartbeat played by medical staff.

Minister Pint?r said upon announcing the executive order, "About two-thirds of the Hungarian people believe that the moment they first heard the heartbeat was the point when the child's life began."

The Hungarian government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orb?n, advocates traditional family values and provides substantial tax benefits and subsidies to households with more than one child to increase the declining birth rate.

Meanwhile, far-right politician D?ra D?r?, who spearheaded the drafting of this executive order, expressed her welcome on her Facebook, saying, "Finally, the government has taken measures to protect the fetus," and "Now the fetus has the opportunity to communicate with the mother even for a few seconds."

However, human rights and civic organizations are opposing the executive order.

Amnesty International Hungary stated, "This decision is a silent abortion ban made without any consultation with women," and criticized that "it will only cause trauma and increase the burden on women already struggling with unwanted pregnancies."

The medical community has also raised doubts about the effectiveness of the executive order. Hungarian medical professionals commented, "The fetal heartbeat heard in early pregnancy is not an actual heartbeat sound but merely the sound coming from the ultrasound machine."

Hungary allows abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, and after 12 weeks, abortion is permitted only in cases where serious health problems are a concern.

Although this regulation is looser than in Poland or Germany, where abortion is virtually illegal, it has been revealed that Hungarian citizens think abortion should be more permissible.

According to an Ipsos poll conducted last month, 70% of respondents said that most abortions should be allowed before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Only 14% responded that abortion should be illegal in most cases.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.