BYD Hires Ex-Hungarian Foreign Minister Amid Europe Localization Push

Peter Szijjarto, Hungary’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has resigned from parliament and officially joined BYD.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Szijjarto said he had accepted an international position at BYD, where he will oversee the company’s external relations and help develop new business initiatives.

Szijjarto had served as a member of the Hungarian parliament since 2002.

During Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s administration, he was responsible for Hungary’s foreign affairs and international economic relations, playing a key role in attracting Chinese investment into the country.

In recent years, several Chinese new energy vehicle and battery manufacturers, including BYD, have established operations in Hungary, with Szijjarto widely regarded as one of the main architects behind those investments.

Many of BYD’s major projects in Hungary were advanced during his tenure.

In 2023, Szijjarto announced that BYD would build its first European passenger vehicle manufacturing plant in Hungary, revealing that the two sides had held 224 rounds of negotiations before reaching an agreement.

The Hungarian government later pledged financial incentives for the project, although the amount was not disclosed.

Located in the southern Hungarian city of Szeged, the plant is scheduled to begin vehicle assembly in the fourth quarter of this year and will become a key part of BYD’s European manufacturing network.

In 2025, Szijjarto also announced that BYD would establish its European headquarters and research and development center in Budapest, supported by a HUF 20 billion ($57.4 million) government incentive package.

With its manufacturing plant, European headquarters and R&D center taking shape, Hungary has become one of the key hubs for BYD’s European operations.

During his time in office, Szijjarto repeatedly opposed the European Union’s additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and publicly supported attracting more Chinese manufacturing investment.

Under the Orbán administration, Hungary has not only secured investments from BYD but also attracted several Chinese battery manufacturers while advancing bilateral projects such as the Hungary–Serbia railway.

The appointment comes as BYD continues to expand its global footprint. In June, BYD sold 403,472 new energy vehicles worldwide, up 5.5% year on year.

Overseas markets remained one of the company’s fastest-growing businesses.

Passenger vehicle and pickup exports reached 174,897 units in June, up 95% from a year earlier and setting a new monthly record, accounting for more than 40% of total sales.

For the first half of 2026, BYD’s overseas sales totaled approximately 789,000 vehicles, an increase of about 70.5% year on year.

With its European factory nearing production and construction of its European headquarters and R&D center progressing, BYD continues to strengthen its localized operating network across Europe.