Merz says he wouldn’t advise his children to live in US
Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany (Photo: Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he advises his three children against living or studying in the US. The German leader believes that, among other things, the social climate in the US is currently changing very rapidly, according to Reuters.
Merz shared his assessment of studying or working in the US before a young audience at a Catholic congress in Würzburg. Merz said people are too prone to thinking about the state of the world in disaster mode and urged Germans to be more optimistic about their own country's potential.
"I firmly believe that there are few countries in the world that offer such great opportunities, especially for young people, as Germany," he said.
The official listed the main drawbacks of the United States and explained what exactly he dislikes.
"I wouldn't recommend that my children go to the U.S. today, get their education there, and work there, simply because a social climate has suddenly developed there. Today, the best-educated people in America have great difficulty finding a job," Merz said.
According to the agency, such remarks once again underscore the tension between Trump‑era Washington and its European allies — in particular, the intensifying disputes over trade, the war in Ukraine, and now Iran.
What preceded Merz’s sharp statement
The leaders of Germany and the US have long been exchanging pleasantries. For example, Trump recently criticized the Chancellor for interfering in the Iran issue and advised him to focus on ending the war in Ukraine.
Friedrich Merz, for his part, has openly stated that the US is suffering humiliation in negotiations with Iran, emphasizing that the US administration is trying to achieve an end to the war but is doing so through concessions.
Despite this, Merz and Trump recently spoke and discussed both Iran and Ukraine. Merz described the outcome of the conversation as shared approaches by both sides to current challenges.
