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"Educated people have difficulty finding jobs", Merz: I would not advise my children to live in the US
2026-05-16 19:23:32 / BOTA
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday he would advise his children not to live or study in the United States for now, citing a rapidly changing social climate and limited opportunities even for those with higher education.
The comments highlight tensions between the United States and its European allies under President Donald Trump, with disputes over trade, wars in Ukraine and now Iran putting the NATO alliance under pressure.
Merz last month said the United States was being humiliated in a war with Iran, angering Trump. Days later, Washington announced a partial troop withdrawal from Germany and increased tariffs on European Union cars, a sector where Germany is strong.
Speaking to a young audience at a Catholic convention in Wuerzburg, Merz said people were too prone to think in "catastrophe mode" about the state of the world and urged Germans to feel more optimistic about their country's potential.
"I strongly believe that there are few countries in the world that offer such great opportunities, especially for young people, as Germany," he said.
"I wouldn't recommend my children to go to the US today, get an education there and work there, simply because a social climate has suddenly been created there," said Merz, a 70-year-old father of three.
"Today, the most educated people in America have great difficulty finding a job."
Merz took office in 2025 as a self-proclaimed transatlanticist, but has since criticized Germany's most powerful ally. Trump, on the other hand, said Merz should focus on fixing his "broken country."
“I am a great admirer of America,” Merz told his audience. “My admiration is not growing at the moment,” he said to laughter and applause.
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