Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s pro-China, pro-Russia former foreign minister, announced on July 15 that he is resigning his parliamentary seat to take a senior executive role at Chinese EV giant BYD, sparking accusations of a conflict of interest given his past efforts to secure Hungarian government subsidies for the company.
Szijjártó served as foreign minister under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for nearly 12 years before stepping down in April, after Orbán’s government lost power to the pro-European Tisza party. He had kept his parliamentary seat but rarely attended sessions or appeared publicly since the election.
New Prime Minister Péter Magyar accused Szijjártó on social media of long representing “foreign interests,” saying he had lobbied heavily to secure massive state subsidies for BYD. Szijjártó, for his part, said on Facebook he had received a “highly prestigious invitation” to join BYD, calling it one of the most successful global automakers of the past two decades, and said he would become the company’s executive in charge of external relations and new business development.
As foreign minister, Szijjártó had championed Chinese investment in Hungary, announcing in 2023 that BYD would build its first European plant there—calling it one of the largest investments in Hungarian economic history—backed by state financial support. In 2025 he announced BYD would locate its European headquarters and R&D center in Budapest, with the Hungarian government pledging 20 billion forints (about US$63.8 million) in subsidies. The Budapest plant allows BYD to manufacture inside the EU, sidestepping the bloc’s tariffs on Chinese EVs; the exact subsidy total has never been disclosed.
Szijjártó was also known for close Russian ties, receiving Vladimir Putin’s Order of Friendship in 2021 and continuing energy talks with Moscow after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Washington Post reported he frequently briefed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during EU meetings.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 16, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202607160061.aspx