Péter Szijjártó stepped down from the Hungarian parliament on July 15, 2026, to take a senior role at BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer [1, 2, 3, 4]. The 47-year-old former foreign minister will oversee BYD's external relations and the development of new business lines [1, 2, 3, 4].

BYD is expanding its footprint in Europe, building its first car plant in Szeged, southern Hungary, a project announced in 2023 [1, 2, 4]. The company also relocated its European regional headquarters and research and development center from the Netherlands to Budapest in 2025, with significant government subsidies supporting these moves [2, 4].

Hungarian authorities allocated around 20 billion forints (about NT$2.05 billion) for BYD's Budapest HQ and R&D center alone [2, 4]. Investigative reports estimate total Hungarian government subsidies for the Szeged plant to be between 1.2 trillion and 1.3 trillion forints [2].

Szijjártó served as Hungary’s foreign minister from 2014 until May 2026 and was a close ally of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. He championed pro-Russian and pro-Chinese policies, including cooperation with BYD [1, 2, 3, 4]. Szijjártó cultivated close ties with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and opposed EU sanctions on Russia [1, 4].

His resignation follows Orban’s party losing the April 2026 parliamentary elections after 16 years in power, dealing another blow to the former government [1]. Current Prime Minister Péter Magyar criticized Szijjártó, accusing him of representing foreign interests and lobbying for large government subsidies for BYD [2, 4]. Magyar said, “Szijjarto has long represented foreign interests and previously lobbied for large government subsidies for BYD” [2].

Szijjártó responded in a Facebook post, calling BYD “one of the greatest automotive success stories of the past two decades and the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles” [1]. He added, “The only difference is that from now on, I will do the same work but will be paid by my true employer instead of the Hungarian people” [2].

BYD’s Szeged plant and Budapest HQ remain central to the company’s European expansion. The plant is under construction with Hungarian government backing, and Szijjártó’s role aims to support BYD’s growth in the region [1, 2, 4].