Minister: Suggestion BMW plant should move to Romania ‘ridiculous’

Responding to questions at a joint press conference with his Yemeni counterpart, Szijjarto called EP Vice-President Katarina Barley “Hungarophobic” over her suggestion that BMW should move its factory to Romania.

He said attempts by “certain political forces” to blackmail German companies investing in Hungary had failed, arguing that more and more German businesses were coming to Hungary and most of them had a good working relationship with the government.

He said the construction of the BMW plant in Debrecen was on schedule and would be a key element of Hungary’s electromobility strategy.

“It’s the German Socialists — and sometimes I get the feeling that the Hungarian left, too — who want these job-creating high-tech investments to be realised in Romania rather than Hungary. Fortunately this isn’t up to them, but hinges on the decisions of the investors and their cooperation with the government,” Szijjarto said.

He said that “despite the efforts” of Barley and the Hungarian left, investments in Hungary this year were on course to double that of last year’s record-high figures.