Overview
- Péter Szijjártó resigned his parliamentary seat and on Wednesday accepted a BYD executive post to lead the group's external relations and develop new business lines.
- BYD has said the role is global and will not place Szijjártó inside its Hungarian management team, framing the hire as an international appointment.
- Hungary’s new Prime Minister Péter Magyar has publicly accused Szijjártó of previously lobbying for large Hungarian state subsidies for BYD, raising conflict-of-interest concerns.
- The appointment comes as BYD’s Szeged car plant has missed earlier targets, faces worker-safety, labor and environmental scrutiny, and BYD now expects full vehicle assembly in Q4 2026.
- Analysts say Szijjártó’s networks could help BYD avoid EU import duties by deepening local ties but the move also heightens reputational and regulatory risk that could complicate permits, inspections and community relations around the Szeged project.