Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjártó left parliament to work for Chinese auto giant BYD

Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has left parliament and will now work for the Chinese car manufacturer BYD. In his new position, he will be responsible for external relations and the development of new business areas.  This is reported by Bloomberg, as conveyed by UNN.

Szijjártó, Hungary's long-time pro-Russian top diplomat who also advocated for Chinese investment in electric vehicles, will be responsible for external relations and the development of new business areas for the Chinese automotive giant 

According to available data, Péter Szijjártó resigned from parliament to join Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Co, which is building its first European car factory in the south of the country.

BYD has been one of the biggest success stories in the automotive industry over the last two decades and a leading global manufacturer of electric vehicles 

Additionally

According to the publication, Péter Szijjártó was considered one of the main proponents of the "opening to the East" strategy promoted by former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The article notes that during his tenure as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he supported the development of relations with China and Russia.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister was known as the face of obstructionism in Brussels, where he often sought to soften EU sanctions against Russia or statements criticizing China. He maintained particularly close ties with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a pariah in much of Europe since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Leaked recordings ahead of an April vote allegedly show them discussing how Szijjártó could help Lavrov remove his associate from the EU sanctions list 

Recall

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar is launching the second phase of restoring democracy after removing the president and judges appointed by Viktor Orbán. Parliament approved constitutional changes limiting terms for legislators and creating a body for the return of assets.