Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto Denies Conflict of Interest in BYD Deal

BUDAPEST, October 5. /TASS/. Hungary’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto has rejected claims that he facilitated the conclusion of government agreements with the Chinese automotive company BYD in violation of Hungarian laws.

The former foreign minister appeared at hearings of the Hungarian parliament’s national security committee, organized in connection with his transition to a senior position at BYD.

The ruling Tisza party’s parliamentary group said that "this move raises serious concerns from the standpoint of national security, conflict of interest and ethical norms." Pal Czako-Czirbus, a Tisza member of parliament and committee member, said, citing the Foreign Ministry’s documents, that "as minister, Szijjarto transferred state infrastructure facilities to BYD - roads, railways and water supply networks - worth billions of forints."

During a brief exchange with reporters before the hearings, Szijjarto dismissed the accusations, recalling that in late 2023, BYD announced the construction of an electric vehicle plant in the Hungarian city of Szeged, which became its first such facility in Europe. "The government support provided for its construction fell entirely within the standard framework established for investments of such scale," the former minister stressed.

Szijjarto maintained that no rules had been broken and that "BYD’s investment in Szeged is a huge success for all of Hungary." "There was fierce competition across Europe to host this plant and many European countries sought to secure the project. I consider it a great success that BYD decided to build the plant here," the former minister said.

Szijjarto noted that he had come to the parliamentary hearings voluntarily, although the law did not require him to respond to the national security committee’s request. "I was a member of parliament for 24 years and I respect this institution. It is natural for me to be here, even if it is not legally mandatory," he added.

Szijjarto was Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade from September 23, 2014, to May 12, 2026. After the Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Alliance party lost the parliamentary elections and the government changed, he remained a member of parliament, but on July 15, he resigned as an MP, saying he had accepted a senior role at BYD. The hearings in the national security committee with his participation were held behind closed doors and the parliament will not publish a transcript of their results.