Following his resignation from Foreign Ministry, Szijjártó will retain his seat inHungarian Parliament
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who is stepping down from his post, will retain his seat in the new parliament.
According to Censor.NET, this is stated in a statement by Gergely Gulyás, leader of the Fidesz party faction, which has been quoted by European media outlets.
Following the April 12 parliamentary elections, the ruling Fidesz party, in coalition with the Christian Democratic People’s Party, won 52 seats in the 199-member National Assembly. Fidesz itself will hold 44 seats, including Szijjártó’s seat.
Szijjártó's political future following his resignation
Despite stepping down as foreign minister, Szijjártó will remain an active participant in the country’s political life as a member of parliament. His activities on the international stage have previously been marked by controversy due to statements that have repeatedly drawn criticism from EU partners.
"I have never served Russian interests," Szijjártó stated in a recent interview.
Scandals and statements during the election campaign
During the election campaign, the release of recordings of telephone conversations in which Szijjártó allegedly passed information to the Russian side caused a political stir. According to the released materials, the conversations reportedly concerned a possible discussion of the EU’s sanctions policy.
In addition, Hungary’s prime minister-designate, Péter Magyar, has stated that certain documents related to sanctions may be destroyed after the election.
Meanwhile, incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has announced his resignation, is refusing to give up his parliamentary seat, but has not ruled out continuing to lead the Fidesz party with the support of his fellow party members.
- Incidentally, Péter Szijjártó recently claimed that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán lost the parliamentary elections allegedly due to Ukrainian interference. The diplomat added that he is praying that Hungary will not be drawn into the Russian-Ukrainian war.
