Hungary's ex-FM Szijjártó quits parliament for BYD role he helped subsidise, PM Magyar attacks

A sudden departure

Péter Szijjártó, who served as Hungary's foreign minister from 2014 until the change of government in May 2026, announced on Wednesday that he had resigned from his parliamentary seat. The 47-year-old posted on Facebook that he had received "an extremely prestigious offer" from BYD, the world's largest electric-vehicle maker, to take a senior international role. He will be responsible for the group's external relations and for developing new business lines. Szijjártó had represented Fidesz in parliament since 2002 and was a close ally of Viktor Orbán throughout his political career.

The subsidy trail

The move has drawn immediate criticism because, as foreign and trade minister, Szijjártó personally courted BYD and helped steer large sums of public money to the company. In December 2023 he announced that BYD would build its first European auto factory in Szeged, and he later told reporters that the decision followed 224 negotiation rounds between the government and the Chinese firm. The Hungarian state provided subsidies; investigative site Atlatszo estimates the factory alone received between 120 and 130 billion forints (334-362 million euros). A separate 20 billion forint (55 million euro) grant was awarded in May 2025 for a Budapest R&D and corporate centre, in a deal signed by Szijjártó and BYD Vice President Stella Li. Together, the direct aid totals roughly 390 million euros.

Magyar's sharp rebuke

Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose TISZA party ousted Fidesz in the April 2026 parliamentary election, used Szijjártó's career switch to hammer home his anti-corruption message. On Facebook he wrote that the former minister "has long represented foreign interests" and had lobbied for "massive state subsidies" for BYD. The prime minister said the only difference now is that Szijjártó "will no longer be paid by the Hungarian people for the same 'work', but by his real employer." Magyar also tied the resignation to what he described as the accelerating disintegration of Fidesz's old guard.

The only difference is that from now on Péter Szijjártó will not be paid by the Hungarian people for the same 'work', but by his real employer.

Orbán's blessing and Szijjártó's record

Viktor Orbán, currently in the United States, congratulated his former protégé on Facebook, a gesture that underlined the enduring personal bonds within the fallen party. Since Fidesz's defeat, Szijjártó had kept a low profile, missing most parliamentary votes and rarely appearing in public. His ministerial legacy, however, extends beyond the BYD deals. In March 2026 an international consortium of investigative journalists revealed that Szijjártó had repeatedly contacted Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov during EU sanctions debates, passing along information from closed-door meetings. He also received a state honour from Vladimir Putin.

The BYD footprint in Hungary

BYD's Szeged plant, which began construction in 2024, is expected to start vehicle assembly in the fourth quarter of this year. The company is positioning Hungary as its main European manufacturing hub; it moved its regional headquarters and research centre from the Netherlands to Budapest as part of the package that Szijjártó helped negotiate. While in office, he consistently argued against EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, saying they would punish European consumers. The transition from minister to executive marks a particularly stark example of the revolving door between government and the businesses it subsidises.