Hungary to introduce women's rights reforms

Magyar announces package to combat violence against women, including period poverty

Hungary will introduce measures to combat violence against women, including ratifying the Istanbul Convention. In a Facebook video posted by PM Peter Magyar said the state had failed women who suffered in silence, while political leaders treated their concerns as secondary. The proposals include tightening rules on restraining orders, making the misuse of intimate recordings a separate criminal offense and strengthening protections for sexual self-determination. Victims of domestic violence would also receive special treatment in criminal proceedings. The package would change the so-called fetal heartbeat rule, introduced by the previous Fidesz government in 2022, which requires women seeking an abortion to listen to a fetal heartbeat before proceeding. Under the proposed changes, women would be able to decide whether to do so after receiving medical information and support. The government also plans to make emergency contraception available without a prescription, improve support for pregnant women and introduce measures to help women and girls who cannot afford menstrual products.

The most significant proposal is to seek parliamentary ratification of the Istanbul Convention, which Hungary signed in 2014 but never formally adopted. The treaty recognizes violence against women and domestic abuse as human rights violations and forms of discrimination, and requires states to take steps to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable. In 2020, Hungary’s parliament passed a resolution rejecting ratification, with Fidesz’s coalition partner KDNP.

Women’s rights organizations have since repeatedly tried to engage the previous government on legislative and policy changes, but say their proposals received little meaningful response. KDNP has already condemned Magyar’s latest proposals, saying it strongly opposes both ratification and what it called the government’s “anti-life” measures. The party claims the convention promotes "gender ideology" and "unrestricted migration". It said violence against women must be addressed and victims supported, but that ratifying the treaty was neither necessary nor appropriate.

Orban's brother detained on people smuggling charges

The brother of Hungary’s former prime minister Viktor Orbán has been detained as part of a people-smuggling investigation. The country’s national asset protection and recovery office said a joint operation with police had resulted in four arrests and searches at properties in Budapest and Pest county. Although authorities did not identify them, PM Magyar named Orbán’s 49-year-old brother, Áron, as one of the detainees. Police said the suspects were believed to have helped more than 100 Vietnamese citizens obtain visas through Hungarian diplomatic missions in Vietnam in 2024, allegedly in exchange for recruitment fees shared among those involved. The four are suspected of human smuggling as part of a criminal conspiracy for financial gain. One is also accused of influence-peddling in connection with the visa process. The alleged offenses took place while Orbán was still prime minister.

Orbán accused the authorities of conducting a “political witch-hunt”, claiming his brother was being targeted to get to him. He said he was the real target of what he described as an attempt to eliminate political opponents and establish a one-party state.

Magyar hopes to end €1 million daily penalty for Hungary

“We would like to reach an agreement on this before the end of the year,” Péter Magyar said in an interview with ATV regarding the daily fine of €1 million that Hungary has been paying since 2024 for failing to comply with the 2020 ruling on asylum laws.

“We are negotiating and working together with the European Commission to find a legislative solution that will allow Hungary to comply with the EU court’s ruling while also maintaining the protection of its southern border,” said the prime minister. He added that if member states side with Hungary on this issue, it could also strengthen the government’s negotiating position.

Back in 2017, the Orbán government extended the legal institution of forced return to the entire country. This means that any foreign national residing in the country illegally will be immediately forcibly returned to Serbia by the police—without any investigation and regardless of their individual circumstances—whether they arrive via Romania or through an airport, and regardless of whether they are a child, an elderly person, someone dealing with health issues, a pregnant woman, or a victim of torture. With this move, the Hungarian government has exempted itself from its constitutional and EU obligations, which says asylum seekers have the right to a fair asylum procedure and that those facing persecution have the right to asylum.