New, social-democrat answers should be given to the challenges that Europe currently faces, including unemployment and social problems, opposition Socialist Party leader Attila Mesterhazy said on Saturday.

Mesterhazy told a European Parliamentary elections campaign event of the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD) in Bucharest that national interests can best be protected in the EU if countries mutually support each other.

“Hungary and Romania have learnt that problems can be more easily resolved through dialogue and cooperation than by generating conflict. The same applies to Europe: if we want to enforce Hungarian national interests, then we need partners and Romania can be a partner,” he added.

Mesterhazy attended the event at the invitation of Prime Minister Victor Ponta and he greeted the participants in Romanian, returning a similar gesture by Ponta during his visit in Hungary.

Mesterhazy told MTI that relations between the Socialists, the PSD and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), which has recently entered a coalition government with the PSD, despite being a member of the European People’s Party, were working.

“Where such considerable number of ethnic Hungarians live beyond the borders, it is obligatory to pay attention to the interests of that community. As a result, I have always encouraged the Romanian prime minister, while making sure that I do not interfere in domestic issues, to come to an agreement with the RMDSZ,” he added.

The Socialists maintain regular contact with the RMDSZ and support its participation in government, he said.