{"id":95922,"date":"2026-07-15T10:33:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/former-hungarian-foreign-minister-quits-parliament-for-top-job-at-chinese-ev-giant-byd\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T10:33:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:33:17","slug":"former-hungarian-foreign-minister-quits-parliament-for-top-job-at-chinese-ev-giant-byd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/former-hungarian-foreign-minister-quits-parliament-for-top-job-at-chinese-ev-giant-byd\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Quits Parliament for Top Job at Chinese EV Giant BYD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

BUDAPEST, Hungary \u2014 Hungary’s former foreign minister has given up his seat in parliament and joined Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD in an executive capacity, he revealed in a social media post on Wednesday.<\/p>

P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3, who spent nearly 12 years as Hungary’s top diplomat under former Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n, shared on Facebook that he had been extended “a highly prestigious offer” from the world’s leading electric carmaker “to fill an international position.”<\/p>

“BYD is one of the greatest success stories in the automotive industry over the past 20 years,” Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 wrote. “Starting today, I will continue to work as the executive responsible for the group’s external relations and the development of new business lines.”<\/p>

Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 lost his ministerial post after Orb\u00e1n and his far-right Fidesz party suffered a decisive defeat in April’s elections, falling to the pro-European Tisza party and its leader, Prime Minister P\u00e9ter Magyar.<\/p>

Following that loss, Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 had been largely absent from parliamentary votes and had rarely made public appearances or posted on social media. He had held a seat in parliament since 2002.<\/p>

Back in 2023, Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 \u2014 while still serving as foreign affairs and trade minister \u2014 announced that BYD would build its first European factory in Hungary. The move allowed the Chinese conglomerate to avoid European Union import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, which were put in place to shield Europe’s domestic auto industry.<\/p>

Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 played a key role in the negotiations that brought the plant to Hungary, noting at the time that the deal came together after 224 rounds of talks between BYD and the Hungarian government. He described the project as “one of the largest investments in Hungarian economic history” and confirmed that the government would offer financial incentives to support construction of the facility.<\/p>

During his time in office, Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 and Orb\u00e1n pushed back against EU tariffs on Chinese goods and actively courted investment from Beijing, resulting in the establishment of several Chinese electric vehicle battery plants throughout Hungary. The Orb\u00e1n government and China also partnered on a rail corridor linking Hungary and Serbia as part of Beijing’s “Belt and Road” global trade initiative.<\/p>

Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 also maintained unusually close ties with Russia throughout his tenure, even after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 23, 2022. Unlike nearly all of his EU counterparts, he made repeated trips to Moscow to negotiate agreements on Russian oil and gas purchases and to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whom he publicly referred to as his “friend.”<\/p>

In 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 the Russian Order of Friendship, one of the highest honors Russia can bestow on a foreign national.<\/p>

Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 became embroiled in controversy during Hungary’s 2026 election campaign after The Washington Post reported that he regularly phoned Lavrov from inside high-level EU meetings, providing “live reports on what’s been discussed.” Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 disputed the report but acknowledged that he did speak with Lavrov before and after EU foreign minister meetings to discuss agendas and outcomes.<\/p>

In March, the Orb\u00e1n government filed espionage charges against a well-known Hungarian investigative journalist in connection with work the reporter had done while looking into Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3’s communications with Lavrov. Those charges were later dropped after Hungary’s new government assumed office.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hungary’s former top diplomat has stepped down from his parliamentary seat to take an executive role at Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD. P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3, who served as foreign minister for nearly 12 years, announced the move on social media. His new role focuses on external relations and developing new business lines for the automaker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":95921,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[832],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-95922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784125997511.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-oX8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":41107,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/hungarian-pm-orders-investigation-into-foreign-ministers-alleged-russia-calls\/","url_meta":{"origin":95922,"position":0},"title":"Hungarian PM Orders Investigation Into Foreign Minister’s Alleged Russia Calls","author":"Admin","date":"March 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has launched an investigation into claims that his foreign minister was wiretapped while allegedly sharing EU meeting details with Russia. The controversy comes just weeks before Hungary's April elections, where Orban faces his toughest reelection challenge in over a decade.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774268566554.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":32684,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/hungarian-foreign-minister-claims-ukraine-interfering-in-elections\/","url_meta":{"origin":95922,"position":1},"title":"Hungarian Foreign Minister Claims Ukraine Interfering in Elections","author":"Admin","date":"March 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hungary's Foreign Minister P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 addressed protesters outside Ukraine's embassy in Budapest, alleging that Ukraine is attempting to meddle in Hungary's upcoming elections. The accusations came amid escalating tensions over interrupted Russian oil shipments through Ukrainian territory.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772822289975.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772822289975.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772822289975.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772822289975.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41226,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/hungarian-opposition-leader-calls-for-treason-investigation-over-russia-spy-claims\/","url_meta":{"origin":95922,"position":2},"title":"Hungarian Opposition Leader Calls for Treason Investigation Over Russia Spy Claims","author":"Admin","date":"March 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hungary's leading opposition candidate is demanding a treason investigation after reports that the government has been secretly sharing EU meeting details with Russia for years. The allegations could carry life sentences if proven true, as parliamentary elections approach in three weeks.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774280206648.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774280206648.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774280206648.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774280206648.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34077,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/hungarian-minister-seeks-release-of-ethnic-hungarian-pows-in-moscow-talks\/","url_meta":{"origin":95922,"position":3},"title":"Hungarian Minister Seeks Release of Ethnic Hungarian POWs in Moscow Talks","author":"Admin","date":"March 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto traveled to Moscow Wednesday hoping to secure the release of two ethnic Hungarian prisoners of war during planned discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The diplomatic mission comes amid ongoing tensions between Hungary and Ukraine over the treatment of ethnic Hungarians living in Ukrainian territory.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772992985279.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":33825,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/russian-leader-meets-hungarian-official-over-energy-amid-middle-east-war-disruptions\/","url_meta":{"origin":95922,"position":4},"title":"Russian Leader Meets Hungarian Official Over Energy Amid Middle East War Disruptions","author":"Admin","date":"March 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Hungary's Foreign Minister in Moscow to discuss oil and gas supplies amid ongoing disruptions. The talks focused on ensuring Hungary's continued access to Russian energy despite pipeline interruptions and Middle East conflicts affecting global markets.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772950700611.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772950700611.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772950700611.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772950700611.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42768,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/hungarian-government-charges-investigative-reporter-with-espionage\/","url_meta":{"origin":95922,"position":5},"title":"Hungarian Government Charges Investigative Reporter with Espionage","author":"Admin","date":"March 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hungary's pro-Russian administration has filed criminal espionage charges against investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, who has extensively reported on Russian influence in the country. The journalist denies the allegations, with his publication calling it an authoritarian attack to discredit his work exposing government ties to Moscow.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774525019985.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774525019985.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774525019985.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774525019985.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95922"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95922\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}