Hungary’s ex-foreign minister lands role at Chinese car giant BYD

Hungary’s former foreign minister Péter Szijjártó has taken a senior advisory position with BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer that has been rapidly expanding its footprint across Europe — a move that’s already drawing sharp criticism from transparency advocates and opposition politicians alike.

From diplomacy to the driver’s seat

Szijjártó, who served as Hungary’s foreign minister for over a decade under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, confirmed the appointment this week. He’ll be working with BYD’s European operations, a division that has grown considerably since the company announced a major manufacturing plant in Debrecen, Hungary, back in 2023. That factory, expected to employ around 10,000 workers at full capacity, was one of the largest foreign investment deals Hungary had secured in years — and Szijjártó was front and center when it was announced.

The timing raises uncomfortable questions. He only left government in late 2024, and critics say the overlap between his ministerial role and his new employer is impossible to ignore.

Conflict of interest concerns mount

Transparency International Hungary wasted no time flagging the appointment. “This is exactly the kind of revolving door dynamic that erodes public trust in government,” said a spokesperson for the organization. “Senior officials should not be moving directly into lobbying or advisory roles with companies they had direct regulatory and diplomatic dealings with.”

And they have a point. During his tenure, Szijjártó made multiple high-profile visits to China, met with BYD executives on at least two documented occasions in 2022 and 2023, and actively championed the Debrecen plant as a national economic triumph. Hungary offered BYD significant state incentives to secure the deal, though the exact figures have never been fully disclosed.

So the question isn’t just whether this looks bad. It’s whether Hungarian law actually prohibits it.

What the rules say — and don’t say

Hungary’s conflict of interest regulations for senior government officials are notably weaker than those in many EU member states. There is no mandatory cooling-off period for former ministers before they can take private sector roles. That’s a gap critics have pointed to for years, and this case is likely to reignite that debate in the European Parliament, where several MEPs have already called for a formal review.

Still, legality and ethics don’t always line up neatly.

What comes next

BYD’s European expansion isn’t slowing down. The company sold roughly 1.76 million vehicles globally in the first half of 2024 and has been aggressively targeting market share across Germany, France, and Scandinavia. Having a well-connected former European foreign minister on board isn’t a small get — it’s a strategic play.

Whether the European Commission takes any interest in the appointment, particularly given ongoing EU scrutiny of Chinese EV subsidies and trade practices, remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: Szijjártó’s new gig won’t be out of the headlines anytime soon.