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\n 14\/04\/2026 – 15:39 GMT+2\n <\/p>\n
Viktor Orb\u00e1n has positioned Hungary as a European centre for Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers, while disregarding the EU\u2019s tariffs on them.<\/p>\n
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Now his political successor, P\u00e9ter Magyar, appears less inclined to reverse that policy in a radical way.<\/p>\n
At a press conference on Monday following a landslide victory against Orb\u00e1n, Magyar praised China as \u201cone of the most important, largest, and strongest countries in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am very happy to travel to Beijing, and we are very happy to welcome Chinese leaders here in Hungary,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Magyar also said he would \u201creview\u201d Chinese investments in Hungary \u2013 particularly on electric vehicles – but \u201cnot with the aim of shutting them down or preventing them from happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
In recent years, Hungary was eager to attract Beijing\u2019s largeness, with BYD building its first European passenger EV factory in Szeged in 2024 and major firms such as CATL, NIO and EVE Energy investing heavily in the country.<\/p>\n
But that open-door policy has increasingly clashed with the EU\u2019s push to tighten scrutiny of Chinese investments, as China floods Europe with low-cost imports and as many as 600,000 job losses are projected in the EU in the bloc\u2019s auto sector this decade amid intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers.<\/p>\n
Magyar will also have to deal with concerns over alleged forced labour involving Chinese workers at Hungarian plants of EV giant BYD, as well as a recent European Commission probe into unfair subsidies at the same site. Those developments have tarnished the company\u2019s reputation and raised concerns over Beijing\u2019s investments.<\/p>\n
Driving more value from investment in Hungary<\/p>\n
At his press conference on Monday, the leader of Hungary\u2019s Tisza party did not enter details. But he made clear that Hungary would align its policy more closely with Brussels.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather, the goal is to ensure that those projects comply with European Union and Hungarian environmental regulations, health procedures, and labour safety standards, and contribute to the performance of the Hungarian national economy,\u201d Magyar added.<\/p>\n