Eastern Opening Strategy Brings Major Investment to Opposition Stronghold of Botka László
The most prestigious investment so far associated with the Eastern Opening strategy is set to be constructed in an opposition stronghold, potentially becoming home to a leading Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD, rivaling even Tesla. In return, the city led by Mayor László Botka appears to behave just as those governed by Fidesz.
A luxurious Christmas present is seemingly on the horizon for the city of Szeged, as a huge development signals the establishment of the BYD Chinese electric car factory in Hungary near the northern border of Szeged. The question of who will benefit the most remains complex. The Chinese company will receive substantial state aid and gain access to the internal market of the European Union, the Hungarian government secures an investor who may massively rely on the battery plants, and László Botka can tick off a major deficiency in his mayoral tenure by attracting a significant industrial advancement to Szeged.
Botka has announced the arrival of BYD as a triumph, marking the official start of the €5 billion, 300-hectare project. The politician, who seven years ago sought to offer a left-wing alternative to the country against Viktor Orbán, is now facilitating the government's Eastern Opening and pushed industrialization initiatives. However, former Socialist governments and the local left-wing factions have not opposed tighter Chinese relations either. Szeged's former Socialist, István Ujhelyi, boasted in October that alongside his European parliamentary duties, he accepted an honorary membership with the Shenzhen Chamber of Commerce the same city where BYD's base is located.