Péter Szijjártó’s exit to BYD accelerates Fidesz’s downfall

In a development underscoring the rapid unraveling of Hungary’s long-dominant Fidesz party, former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has resigned from his parliamentary seat to assume a senior executive position with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD.

The move, announced on Wednesday, has drawn sharp criticism from Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who portrayed it as confirmation of Szijjártó’s longstanding alignment with foreign interests rather than Hungarian ones.

Szijjártó, a veteran politician who served as Hungary’s top diplomat for nearly 12 years under Viktor Orbán, described the opportunity as “a highly prestigious offer” from one of the world’s leading companies. In his Facebook announcement, he praised BYD as “one of the greatest success stories in the automotive industry over the past 20 years” and the global leader in new energy vehicles. He will head the group’s External relations and new business development department in an international capacity, based outside Hungary’s domestic management structure.

Political vacuum and accusations of divided loyalties

Prime Minister Magyar wasted no time in framing the resignation as emblematic of Fidesz’s accelerating disintegration. “The complete disintegration of the former state party, Fidesz, is continuing at an ever-accelerating pace,” he stated, reacting to news of Szijjártó’s departure. Magyar noted that Szijjártó, who “also previously represented foreign interests,” had lobbied for substantial Hungarian state subsidies to support BYD’s operations in the country. “The only difference is that, from now on, Hungarian taxpayers will no longer be paying Péter Szijjártó for the same ‘work’ – his actual employer will,” Magyar wrote on social media.

The Prime Minister further suggested that the former minister’s actions during his tenure may now appear clearer in hindsight, particularly regarding major battery and automotive investments involving Chinese firms. This pointed critique comes after Magyar’s landslide victory in April 2026, which ended Orbán’s extended hold on power and sent Fidesz into disarray. Senior figures within the party have increasingly distanced themselves, with Magyar predicting Fidesz’s path toward “political extinction” as members abandon what he called a “sinking ship.”

Szijjártó, aged 48, has been a fixture in Hungarian politics since joining Fidesz’s Győr organization at age 20. His career trajectory included roles as national spokesperson, communications director, and key positions in Orbán’s governments. From 2014 until the recent elections, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, where he championed closer economic ties with China and Russia. Notably, in 2023 he played a pivotal role in securing BYD’s decision to establish its first European factory in Hungary, following extensive negotiations. The project, touted as one of the largest investments in Hungarian economic history, benefited from government incentives aimed at positioning the country as a hub for electric vehicle and battery production in Europe.

This alignment helped Hungary attract significant Chinese capital, including multiple battery plants, even as the European Union grappled with trade imbalances and imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs to shield domestic manufacturers. Orbán’s administration also advanced joint infrastructure projects with Beijing, such as a rail corridor linking Hungary and Serbia under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Szijjártó’s advocacy for these ties often placed Hungary at odds with broader EU policy, particularly amid ongoing tensions over Chinese overcapacity and retaliatory threats from Beijing.

Under Fidesz rule, BYD has had free hand in Hungary. Last March the investigative outlet Átlátszó, partner of EUalive, reported that in BYD’s electric vehicle facility in Hungary cars arrived in a ready-to-drive condition from China, only to be disassembled and then reassembled on site, to be able to qualify for the “Made in EU” label.

Fully built cars disassembled and reassembled at Hungarian BYD factory

Since the April election defeat, Szijjártó had maintained a low profile, missing many parliamentary votes and limiting public appearances. His parliamentary service, which began in 2002, has now concluded as he transitions fully into the private sector. BYD confirmed to Hungarian media that his role is global in scope and not tied to the local Hungarian operations, where production at the new southern factory is slated to begin later this year.

The episode highlights shifting dynamics in Hungarian politics and economics. Magyar’s government inherits a landscape marked by deep Chinese investments fostered under the previous regime, even as EU-China relations remain strained. Brussels continues dialogue with Beijing to address a massive trade deficit, though deadlines for tangible progress have been met with skepticism from European lawmakers.

Szijjártó’s departure adds to the narrative of Fidesz’s fragmentation, with key allies from the Orbán era stepping away from frontline politics.

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Sources: Reuters, Euronews, Express, Associated Press

Caption: Former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has resigned from his parliamentary seat to assume a senior executive position with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD. (Péter Szijjártó’s Facebook page)