Merz stated that the US is no longer a "country of opportunities". He wouldn't send his children there
Germany's Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that, under current conditions, he would not advise his children to study or work in the USA. He said this at a conference of young Catholics in Würzburg on May 15, The Guardian reports .
Friedrich Merz. Photo: Kai Pfaffenbach/Pool Photo via AP
Friedrich Merz said he no longer perceives the US as a country of opportunities due to rapid changes in the "social climate" and deep societal polarization.
"Today, I would not advise my children to go to the US, get an education or work there, simply because a certain social climate has suddenly developed there. Even the most educated people in America find it very difficult to find work today," he noted.
Merz urged Germans not to fall into pessimism regarding the global situation and to assess their country's opportunities with greater optimism.
"I am firmly convinced that there are few countries in the world that offer such wonderful opportunities, especially for young people, as Germany," he said.
Merz's comments about the US immediately drew reactions from Donald Trump's supporters. Former US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell called Merz's words a manifestation of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and noted that they contradicted the recent "soft and flattering" tone of Merz's meeting with the president at the White House.
"The Germans have a leader who has no strategy – and is completely controlled by the German woke-media," he wrote on social network X.
Relations between Donald Trump and Friedrich Merz are currently very tense following mutual criticism in April 2026. Merz had previously stated that the US was supposedly "suffering humiliation" at the hands of Iran, and also criticized Washington's attempts to withdraw from a war that Americans entered without clearly defined goals.
In response, Trump stated that the German Chancellor should pay more attention to ending Russia's war against Ukraine. According to the American politician, Merz is acting "absolutely ineffectively" on this issue. Additionally, Trump urged him to address Germany's internal problems, including migration and energy.
Later, Trump announced on his social network Truth Social that his administration was considering reducing the American military presence in Germany. Soon after, this statement translated into practical decisions.
Following this, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius urged European countries to invest more heavily in their own defense. He noted that such US plans were expected and should encourage Europe to take more responsibility for its security.
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Comments
С чего бы это Германии перестать быть страной возможностей? В соседних странах дети изучают немецкий, тк в Германии и Швейцарии зп выше. В Штаты валят индусы и пакистанцы теперь, потому там стало много сложнее устроиться.
Но по инструкции очевидно надо писать: из Германии разбежались)))
Ну, лишь бы знали, где Германия и где Штаты находятся, а там пусть пишут, что велено.