Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai supports the re-election of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, daily Nepszabadsag said on Monday.

"There is a need for security, with a primary focus on crisis-management. We believe the current President Jose Manuel Barroso is the right guarantee to stability and continuity. And this is of utmost importance now," Bajnai told the paper.

Bajnai said the European Commission and the current President had made considerable achievements in handling the financial and economic crisis, under which EU and other financial resources have been used to help several countries, including Hungary, consolidate the economy and make a recovery.

It is in Europe's basic interest that the transition period should be as short as possible after the forthcoming election of the European Parliament and the Commission, he added.

The paper noted that Socialist MEPs support Barroso only with certain conditions. They said they support him only if he places stronger emphasis in the second term on social policy issues, such as labour directives. The conservative European People's Party has also lined up behind Barroso, the paper said.