TL/DR –
U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake has been touting Hungary’s policies on abortion and family growth as models for America. She has praised the nation’s pro-family policies, including tax breaks for families with multiple children, and suggested that the U.S. adopt similar measures. However, critics argue that Hungary’s policies, which include significant obstacles to obtaining abortions and financial penalties for divorcing, effectively punish women and are not responsible for the nation’s declining abortion rates.
Abortion Policy: U.S. Senate Candidate Kari Lake Cites Hungary as Model
U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake often highlights Hungary’s approach to abortion policy as a model for America. Lake, the Republican front-runner, applauds Hungary for lowering its abortion rates without altering its laws, promoting families by reducing women’s tax liability for each child they bear. According to Lake, a woman’s taxes are permanently eliminated after her fourth child.
Lake’s visit to Hungary last year reshaped her perspective on how to address this complex issue. However, she omits crucial details about abortion rights, women’s rights, and family creation in Hungary, a country that has become a symbol of Europe’s democratic regression.
Abortion rates in Hungary were decreasing prior to the tax change. Moreover, the pro-family policy Lake frequently praises has been criticized for essentially penalizing women who divorce. Krisztina Les, coordinator of the reproductive rights project at Patent Association, argued that the tax incentives and abortion outcomes “have nothing to do with each other.”
Hungary’s Approach to Immigration and Population Growth
Hungary, located between Austria and Romania, is home to about 9.7 million residents. For over a decade, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been shifting the former Soviet country towards authoritarianism under his Fidesz political party.
Orbán’s staunch anti-immigration rhetoric has been compared to former President Donald Trump’s views. Unlike other European leaders who welcome immigrants to bolster their economies, Orbán seeks to preserve Hungarian cultural purity by encouraging more births.
Abortion Rights in Hungary
Hungarian women have had access to abortion rights for decades due to the horrors of war rather than women’s rights. Mass rapes by Soviet soldiers during World War II led to a liberalization of abortion rights in Eastern Europe. Hungary temporarily legalized abortion in 1945 as a response to this sexual violence.
After the death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1956 and a subsequent uprising against Soviet rule, Hungary permanently legalized abortion. To this day, abortions up to 12 weeks into pregnancy require no justification. After 12 weeks, a woman can seek an abortion up to 24 weeks into pregnancy but must demonstrate it is a medical necessity or that the fetus most likely faces birth defects.
Increasing Hurdles for Abortion in Hungary
Despite the existing rules, Hungary has witnessed a significant decline in abortions over generations. The government has added new provisions to dissuade the procedure, including requiring two consultations with doctors three days apart before allowing abortions. For the first time, Hungary also required women to pay for abortion services.
In 2012, Hungary declared that fetal life begins at conception and outlawed medication abortions. This statement has had no practical effect to date, but could serve as the basis for future restrictions.
Challenges for Hungarian Women
Abortion in Hungary costs approximately $111 in a country where the average income is $550 per month. Hungary remains a patriarchal society where there is considerable pressure on women to marry and have children. Women who seek abortions receive quality health care but are subjected to additional societal pressures.
Les mentioned that the baby bonuses only end income taxes for those who have four or more children. Families still pay a general tax that supports health care and the equivalent of a sales tax. Those who have three children or fewer must repay the loan at low interest rates.
Furthermore, there are financial penalties for leaving even abusive relationships. “These people get married in order to get these loans and to buy a house, and this means they cannot get a divorce. If you get a divorce, you need to pay this loan back with an extra interest rate,” Les said.
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