The AfD says Merz will “dutifully follow” orders from Damascus.
The prime minister has long ruled out rejoining the single market, but is once again pushing for closer ties with the bloc.
Critics of Orbán have been accused of manufacturing a scandal to destabilise the election.
A political row has erupted in the European Parliament after left-wing groups sought to sanction a conservative MEP over remarks on deportations.
Police would be allowed to trawl through online content without concrete suspicions of criminal activity.
The PM’s Brothers of Italy party remains well ahead of its rivals, with only marginal gains for opposition parties.
A controversial system for logging non-crime incidents is curtailed, though thousands of past cases remain on police databases.
Fraud claims linger, but Slovenia’s leadership is pushing ahead with coalition talks.
The group also receives funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations.
Critics accuse the Labour government of relying on “meaningless spin” when negotiating the so-called youth mobility scheme with the EU.
The Hungarian prime minister’s political director is pleased to see reporters running “into reality.”
Moments after saying Britain should rejoin the EU, the London mayor could receive a peerage.
