Former Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó appeared before Parliament’s National Security Committee on Monday for a three-hour closed-door hearing concerning his new role at Chinese electric carmaker BYD.
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Following the closed-door session, Tisza Party MP Pál Czakó Czirbus said Szijjártó had been questioned about his work for BYD, as well as his ties to Russian and Chinese state actors.
Szijjártó, who served as foreign minister for 12 years under the previous government, resigned from his parliamentary mandate in July before taking up a senior position at BYD responsible for external relations and developing new business areas.
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According to the Tisza MP, the committee also received an answer as to when employment negotiations between Szijjártó and BYD began, although he did not disclose the date.
Czakó Czirbus argued that Szijjártó’s move to the private sector itself raises national security concerns, given that he spent almost 12 years as Hungary’s foreign minister and accumulated extensive knowledge and information during his time in office.
He said Monday’s hearing was only the first stage of the committee’s investigation. The heads of the national security services are expected to be questioned next, followed by a concluding stage in which the information gathered will be assessed.
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Hungarian lawmaker Czakó Czirbus [from the ruling Tisza party] argued that Szijjártó’s move to the private sector itself raises national security concerns, given that he spent almost 12 years as Hungary’s foreign minister and accumulated extensive knowledge and information during his time in office.
The committee launched an investigation into his position at the Chinese company in September, with questions focusing on potential national security risks arising from his move from government to a major international company with significant Hungarian investments.
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Government official raises concerns over former foreign ministry
The hearing was also attended by Foreign Ministry parliamentary state secretary György László Velkey, who said he had been deeply affected by what he had heard. Velkey praised Foreign Ministry staff for preserving numerous documents following the change of government, saying they had prevented them from being destroyed or discarded.
According to the state secretary, the documents paint a picture of a foreign ministry and activities that raise “extremely serious concerns” in several areas. He said it was particularly striking to hear Szijjártó’s answers in person after the former minister had led the Foreign Ministry for 12 years.
Velkey also accused Szijjártó, alongside former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, of being chiefly responsible for what he described as Hungary becoming effectively isolated within its alliance system.
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In March and April 2026, the NGO China Labor Watch found labour rights violations impacting Chinese workers constructing a BYD electric vehicle factory in Szeged, Hungary. Chinese construction workers - mainly some 10,,000 Asian migrant workers - were allegedly subjected to severe abuse at BYD electric vehicle plant, including 'indicators of forced labour',
China Labor Watch interviewed 50 workers and found allegations of excessive hours (up to 14 hours a day), seven-day work weeks, up to three months wage theft, recruitment fee charging, a lack of access to basic amenities, threats, and an inability to freely return home, and indicators of forced labour.
The allegations follow previous reports of human rights violations impacting migrant workers in a BYD plant in Camaçari, Brazil, including alleged conditions of forced labour.
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