Orban’s Close Ally Quits Politics for Role at Chinese Giant BYD

Peter Szijjarto resigned his parliamentary mandate on July 15, transitioning from his role as a key aide to Viktor Orban to a senior position at the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD.

A Strategic Career Shift

Peter Szijjarto announced his resignation in a Facebook post on July 15, citing an honor to join a global economic leader. He will manage external relations and new business development for BYD, a company he credits as a major automotive success story of the last two decades.

According to the Hungarian portal 444.hu, the resignation has been formally recorded on the Hungarian parliament’s website.

Historical Ties to BYD

The relationship between Szijjarto and the automaker is well-established; in May 2025, while serving as Foreign Minister, he announced that the company would build a corporate and development center in Budapest. The project, valued at approximately 100 billion forints, received 20 billion forints in taxpayer-funded government support. Szijjarto is set to work at this specific facility.

During his April election campaign, the politician even utilized an AI-generated promotional video depicting him traveling by horse-drawn carriage toward the Hungarian BYD factory.

Regulatory and Ethical Controversies

The BYD investment has faced significant scrutiny. The European Union is currently investigating whether the project received prohibited state aid. Furthermore, reports from April 2026 highlighted poor working conditions at the Szeged site, which was also the scene of a worker fatality in June. Police are also investigating potential environmental contamination related to the disposal of waste soil, though BYD Vice President Stella Li has denied any regulatory violations.

The company also faces international pressure, as the U.S. Department of Defense added BYD to a list of firms linked to the Chinese military in June 2026. While not triggering automatic sanctions, the designation serves as a warning regarding potential exploitation by Chinese intelligence services.

Political Background

Szijjarto entered the Hungarian parliament in 2002. His career included serving as Viktor Orban’s personal spokesperson starting in 2010, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations from 2012, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2014 until Fidesz lost the election.