German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said today that he would not currently advise his children to live or study in the United States, citing the rapidly changing social climate and limited opportunities even for highly educated people.
The statements highlight tensions between the United States and its European allies under President Donald Trump, with trade disputes, wars in Ukraine and Iran increasing pressure on the NATO alliance, according to Reuters.
Last month, Merck said the US had been humiliated in a war with Iran, angering Trump. Days later, Washington announced a partial troop withdrawal from Germany and increased tariffs on cars from the European Union, a sector in which Germany is very strong.
Speaking to a young audience at a Catholic convention in Wurzburg, Merz said people were too prone to think about the state of the world in a "spirit of catastrophe" and urged Germans to be more optimistic about their own country's potential, Reuters reports.
"I firmly believe that there are few countries in the world that offer such great opportunities, especially for young people, as Germany," he said.
"Today, I would not recommend my children to go to the United States, to study and work there, simply because a certain social climate has suddenly developed there," said Friedrich Merz, a 70-year-old father of three.
"Today, even the most educated people in America have a very hard time finding a job."
Merz took office in 2025 as a self-proclaimed transatlanticist, but has since criticized Germany's most powerful ally. Donald Trump, for his part, said Merz should focus on fixing his own "broken country."
"I'm a great admirer of America," Merc told the audience. "My admiration is not growing at the moment," he added to laughter and applause from the audience.
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