Magyar Government Opens Investigation into Ex-FM Szijjártó's Russia Ties

PM Péter Magyar announced on July 16 that Hungarian authorities have opened a large-scale official investigation into former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó's relations with Russia, covering classified government and foreign-policy materials. The probe follows the 2026 leak of recordings in which Szijjártó is heard briefing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ahead of EU meetings and offering to help dilute EU sanctions on Moscow. Szijjártó had resigned his parliamentary seat days earlier to become global head of external affairs at Chinese EV maker BYD. Magyar said the government would withhold further comment to avoid compromising the investigation but pledged to release information once initial findings are available.