Hungary's Former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó Joins BYD
Hungary's former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, has resigned his parliamentary seat to take a position with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD.
Péter Szijjártó, Hungary's former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has left his role as a Member of Parliament to join Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD. Szijjártó, who served as Hungary's foreign minister for an extended period, was an active proponent of Chinese automotive investment in Hungary.
Within BYD, Szijjártó will reportedly oversee external relations and new business development. He has previously described the company as one of the most successful development stories in the automotive industry over the past two decades and a leading global electric vehicle manufacturer.
The move comes as BYD is constructing its first European passenger car factory in southern Hungary. The company announced earlier that vehicle assembly would commence in the fourth quarter of this year, about a year later than initially planned.
The Szeged facility is BYD's first plant in Europe. Production of the all-electric compact car Dolphin Surf was previously slated for completion before the end of 2025. Currently, BYD is in the process of installing equipment at the Hungarian site.