Hungary's government will ease access to emergency contraception and roll back a controversial abortion rule as part of a broad package of women's rights reforms, Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on Thursday 12 November 2026.

The measures, which also include stronger protections for victims of abuse and ratification of an international treaty on violence against women, mark a sharp break with the policies of former premier Viktor Orban, whose 16-year rule ended with an election victory for Mr Magyar in April.

What will change

Women in Hungary will no longer need a prescription to obtain emergency contraception, Mr Magyar said. The government will also introduce measures to tackle "menstrual poverty", the difficulty some women and girls face in affording sanitary products.

The government will amend a 2022 rule introduced under Mr Orban that requires pregnant women seeking an abortion to provide evidence from a healthcare provider of a definitive sign of life, a requirement widely interpreted as a foetal heartbeat. The change removes one of the most contested restrictions placed on abortion access in Hungary in recent years.

Mr Magyar said the government would also amend the criminal code to strengthen protections for women, including rules governing restraining orders, as part of the same package.

Ratifying the Istanbul Convention

At the centre of the package is Hungary's ratification of the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe treaty aimed at preventing violence against women and domestic violence. Mr Magyar described ratification as a "long overdue debt" of the Hungarian state.

The 2014 treaty requires signatories to criminalise rape based on the absence of consent, and sets out obligations to protect victims, prosecute offenders and prevent violence. Hungary is one of the few European states that had not ratified the convention, and the decision reverses a long-standing position of the previous government, which had refused to do so.

A break with the Orban era

The reforms are among the most significant social policy changes announced since Mr Magyar took office. Mr Orban, who governed Hungary for 16 years, built his rule in part on socially conservative policies, including restrictions on abortion and a refusal to ratify the Istanbul Convention.

Mr Magyar's election victory in April ended that long period in office, and the women's rights package is the clearest signal yet of the new government's direction on social issues. The announcement was made in Budapest on Thursday, with the government presenting the measures as a single package of reforms rather than a series of separate changes.

What the reforms mean in practice

Removing the prescription requirement for emergency contraception will make the medication available directly from pharmacies, reducing delays for women who need it. Emergency contraception is most effective when taken as soon as possible, so easier access is a practical change as well as a symbolic one.

Amending the 2022 abortion rule will remove a procedural step that critics said was designed to deter women from seeking terminations. The government has not said when the changes will take effect, and the reforms will need to pass through the legislative process before they become law.

Sources: Reuters