Most Hungarian candidates running in this week's European Parliament elections prefer to lead national campaigns, as they have difficulty attracting voters by explaining the EU's agenda, EurActiv Hungary reports.

"If we just dealt with EU affairs, participation rates would sink below 25%," Pál Schmitt, the top candidate on the conservative, Christian Democratic list of Fidesz-KDNP told EurActiv Hungary.

István Szent-Iványi, who heads the liberal list, hit back by saying that "people are drawn to social issues" that affect their daily lives and find it difficult to test politicians on their parties' European programmes. Voters are conscious of common challenges like the economic crisis and climate change, but instead of calling for a European response, they want their government to address the situation, he said.

Setting out her party's 15-point pledge for the EU elections, the leader of the ruling Socialist Party (MSZP) list, former Foreign Minister Kinga Göncz, said the programme was not of interest to Hungarian citizens.

She said her party had "made all efforts" to deal with European issues on the campaign trail, and criticised the opposition Fidesz's campaign for its total absence of the word 'Europe'. However, MSZP posters also fail to mention Europe, and their main slogan is 'I do not vote for the right wing!'

Meanwhile, alternative parties like Politics Can Be Different (LMP) are warning of a dangerous trend in Hungarian politics. According to LMP leader Tímea Szabó, people have "turned away" from politics. Szabó said there is a real need in Hungary to rebuild "trust in democratic participation".

Dr. Krisztina Arató, an integration specialist at the Lóránt Eötvös University of Science, echoed the view that Hungarian voters are solely influenced by domestic issues. "There is no European policy space, no European demos. There are no campaign issues at the European level," she added.

CAP: The only common ground?

The Common Agricultural Policy is the only area where all parties seem to have similar opinions, except for the far-right 'Movement for a Better Hungary', Jobbik.

Krisztina Morvai, head of the 'Jobbik' list, said that Hungary had become "a colony" in which the people "sink into poverty and become slaves in their own country".

"Hungarian politics has to bear the primary responsibility," she said, adding that 'Jobbik' was calling for an in-depth and thorough analysis of Hungary's accession to the EU.