Former Hungarian foreign minister resigns parliamentary seat to join BYD

Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced Wednesday that he had resigned from parliament after accepting an international position at Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD.

“I have submitted my resignation from my parliamentary mandate. The reason is that I have received a highly prestigious offer from one of the world’s leading companies to fill an international position,” Szijjarto said on the US social media platform Facebook.

He said he would assume his new role at BYD immediately as head of external relations and new business development.

Szijjarto described BYD as “one of the greatest success stories of the automotive industry over the past two decades” and “the world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles.”

He served as Hungary’s foreign minister from 2014 until 2026 after holding several senior government positions, including as Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s spokesperson and later as state secretary for foreign affairs and external economic relations.

During his time as foreign minister, Szijjarto was one of the Hungarian government’s strongest advocates for Chinese investment and electric vehicle manufacturers.