István Kapitány Announces Restoration of Obstetrician Choice in Health Reforms

István Kapitány, the incoming Minister of Economy and Energy for the Tisza government, announced on May 1, 2026, that the administration plans to restore the freedom for patients to choose their own obstetricians. The announcement comes as a direct response to a demographic crisis, with Kapitány citing a historic low in birth rates as a primary driver for the reform.

In a social media post published on Friday, Kapitány highlighted that 2025 saw the lowest number of births in Hungary in 75 years, following another negative record in 2024. He stated that the 72,000 children born in 2025 are not merely a statistic, but a signal that many people are unable or unwilling to have children for understandable reasons.

Proposed Healthcare and Labor Reforms

The restoration of the choice of obstetrician is part of a broader set of healthcare and social reforms promised by the Tisza government to counteract current demographic trends. According to Kapitány, the government intends to implement several immediate measures, including:

• Support for family-friendly workplaces.
• Ensuring more humane obstetric care.
• The introduction of efficient fertility treatments.
• The reinstatement of the free choice of obstetricians.

Kapitány argued that the current system is unjust, noting that many women struggle to balance professional demands with home life while receiving minimal actual support. He described a vision for a country where work and family do not conflict, where childbearing is a respected decision rather than a disadvantage, and where women receive equal pay and recognition for equal work.

We want to live in a country where work and family do not go against each other. Where workplaces take life situations into account. Where having children is not a disadvantage, but a respected decision. Where women receive the same recognition and the same pay for the same work.

István Kapitány, Minister-designate of Economy and Energy

Internal Government Friction

Despite the public announcement, the proposal has created a visible rift among the minister-designates of the incoming government. Zsolt Hegedűs, an orthopedic surgeon and the nominee for Minister of Health, indicated that the issue is more complex than Kapitány’s announcement suggests. Reporting from Portfolio and HVG indicates a disagreement between the two officials regarding the feasibility and implementation of the free choice of obstetricians.

The tension highlights a potential conflict between the economic and demographic goals championed by Kapitány and the operational realities of the healthcare system managed by Hegedűs. While Kapitány views the measure as a necessary incentive to encourage childbirth, Hegedűs has signaled that the practicalities of the healthcare infrastructure may complicate a simple restoration of the previous system.

This development follows other health-related initiatives proposed by Hegedűs, including plans to restructure foundations responsible for life-saving medications and a declared campaign against hospital-acquired infections.