Hungarys ex-foreign minister joins BYD after securing state subsidies for Chinese automaker
Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s former foreign minister, resigned from parliament on Wednesday to join Chinese automaker BYD, sparking criticism over his role in facilitating substantial government subsidies to the company while in office.
Szijjártó, who served as Hungary’s top diplomat for nearly 12 years under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, announced on Facebook that he had accepted “a highly prestigious offer” from BYD. He will become the executive responsible for the group’s external relations and the development of new business lines.
Current Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose pro-European Tisza party won a landslide election in April, accused Szijjártó of having “long represented foreign interests” and of lobbying for “massive Hungarian state subsidies” for BYD before joining the company.
Szijjártó, who had been a member of parliament since 2002, had missed most parliamentary votes since the April election and rarely appeared in public or posted on social media. While serving in government, he was instrumental in securing foreign investments in Hungary from Chinese companies, including BYD, which received considerable state subsidies during his tenure.
In 2023, Szijjártó announced that BYD would open its first European factory in Hungary, allowing the conglomerate to skirt European Union import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. He played a central role in talks with BYD on bringing the plant to Hungary, saying the decision came after 224 rounds of negotiations between the company and Hungary’s government. He called the project “one of the largest investments in Hungarian economic history,” saying the government would provide financial incentives to BYD for building the plant, which have not been disclosed.
In 2025, Szijjártó also announced that BYD would locate its European headquarters and a research and development center in Budapest and receive 20 billion forints ($63.7 million) in government assistance.
Szijjártó and Orbán had opposed EU tariffs on Chinese products, sought major investment from Beijing, and opened a series of Chinese EV battery manufacturing plants across the country.
Magyar criticized Szijjártó’s move, stating on social media that the only difference now is that Szijjártó will be paid by his “real employer” instead of the Hungarian people.
Szijjártó, a long-time political ally of Orbán, had been the spokesperson for Orbán before becoming foreign minister in 2014, a position he held until earlier this year. As Hungary’s top diplomat, he was one of the most fervent supporters of strengthening ties with Beijing and Moscow. In March, he admitted to maintaining contacts with high-ranking Russian officials while EU governments debated new sanctions against the Kremlin.
BYD has become a key player in China’s industrial push into Europe. The electric vehicle manufacturer is expected to start assembling cars at its new factory in Hungary later this year, after designating the country as its main European production hub.
Szijjártó is not the only European politician to transition to the automotive industry. Former German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who retired from politics after his party’s electoral defeat, is set to become the CEO of Germany’s largest car dealer, Autoland AG, in 2027.
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