Gulyas: Strong mandate 'great help' in EU policy debates

The strong mandate that the allied ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat (KDNP) parties received from the voters at last Sunday's European parliamentary election will be of great help in policy debates in the European Union, the Prime Minister's Office chief said on Thursday. At his regular press briefing, Gergely Gulyas said the government continued to promote a Europe of nation states and its anti-migration stance, and would only support European leaders on a similar footing, he said. Another priority will be the protection of Christian culture, he said. Fidesz-KDNP will back neither Manfred Weber, the European People's Party lead candidate, nor Frans Timmermans, the European Socialist's spitzenkandidat for president of the European Commission, Gulyas said. Weber "has offended Hungarian voters", he said. As regards Timmermans, he said the Hungarian government would not want American financier George Soros "to form a government in Europe".