András Tótth has resigned from Hungary’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy for personal reasons, but his departure came after controversy over a planned battery industry conference in Debrecen. Reports also suggest that Minister István Kapitány’s own resignation was discussed, although the ministry denied this.
András Tótth, the state secretary responsible for energy at Hungary’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, has resigned, with his appointment officially ending on 13 October at the recommendation of Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
The ministry, led by István Kapitány, announced the departure in a brief statement on Tuesday evening, citing personal reasons. However, the timing of the resignation has attracted attention following a public dispute over a battery industry conference planned for Debrecen, one of Hungary’s key battery manufacturing centres.
Resignation follows dispute over Debrecen battery conference
The controversy centred on the Hungarian Battery Days conference, scheduled to take place at Debrecen’s Kölcsey Centre on 4 and 5 November. Several Chinese battery manufacturers, including senior executives from CATL, are expected to attend the event.
On Tuesday evening, Zsolt Tárkányi, a Tisza Party politician, published a Facebook post criticising the conference and the portrayal of Debrecen as a European battery industry hub. He argued that local residents had not wanted the factories and had so far experienced their disadvantages rather than the benefits promised by the industry.
“For the people of Debrecen, battery factories do not represent sustainable, environmentally conscious, modern mobility,” Tárkányi wrote, pointing instead to distrust surrounding factory operations, fears of pollution and concerns about the future of the city and its residential areas.
The politician also objected to plans for a Hungarian government state secretary to speak at the event without prior public information about the appearance. According to an update to his Facebook post, Tárkányi was informed just minutes after publishing it that the state secretary concerned had resigned.
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Who was András Tótth?
Tótth was appointed state secretary for energy at the end of May 2026. He began his career as an energy expert at Boston Consulting Group before taking senior positions at E.ON Földgáz and the MVM Group, working primarily in strategy, regulation and trading.
When announcing his appointment, Kapitány said Tótth’s professional experience provided a strong foundation for managing the challenges facing Hungary’s energy sector.
His immediate priorities included preparing energy-related measures needed to secure the return of EU funding. In the medium term, he was expected to help develop an energy strategy aimed at improving energy efficiency, self-sufficiency and competitiveness.
Tótth also took on a prominent role at state-owned energy company MVM, where he was appointed to lead the board of directors responsible for determining the group’s strategic direction.
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Reports raise questions about Minister Kapitány’s position
The resignation also fuelled speculation about the leadership of the ministry itself. According to HVG, several sources indicated that Kapitány’s resignation as minister had also been discussed on Tuesday. The ministry officially denied this, however, and no confirmed ministerial departure was announced.
HVG reported that Tótth was more than a senior official responsible for preparing energy policy. He had been selected partly for his professional background and his reputation for determination, with responsibility for advancing policy proposals and helping redirect a sector facing the consequences of earlier government decisions.
The publication also raised questions about the concentration of authority surrounding Tótth’s roles at MVM and within the government. The ministry previously explained that he had inadvertently been granted the government’s shareholder rights over the state-owned company through an administrative oversight, adding that he had neither made nor countersigned decisions in that capacity.
UPDATE: Kapitány reacts
“I haven’t resigned,” the Minister for Energy responded to the HVG article.
“I haven’t resigned, and I won’t! It’s pointless for a newspaper that has seen better days to keep spreading this, despite the rebuttal,” said István Kapitány, Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, in a Facebook post, responding to HVG’s report (confirmed by several sources) that his resignation had been mooted on Tuesday.
