The European People’s Party (EPP) lead candidate to head the European Commission, Manfred Weber, kicked off a new phase of his campaign at Athens' Zappeion exhibition hall with new slogans and a pledge that he will block the construction of Russia's controversial Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, should he succeed Jean-Claude Juncker for Europe's top job.

Weber, whose hawkish tone towards Moscow puts him at odds with most of the German political establishment, the majority of whom have been overly ...