Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, has said he would not advise his children to study or work in the United States given the current social climate, describing the country as deeply polarised and no longer the land of opportunity it once was.
Merz's Remarks at Youth Conference
Speaking at a conference of young Catholics in Würzburg, the conservative leader, often regarded as a transatlanticist, expressed his waning admiration for America. 'I am a great admirer of America. At the moment my admiration is not growing,' he said during a podium discussion. He cited the rapidly changing 'social climate' in the deeply polarised nation as a key concern.
'I would not advise my children today to go to the US, get educated there or work there, simply because a certain social climate has suddenly developed there,' the 70-year-old father of three stated. He added that even highly educated individuals in America are finding it extremely difficult to secure employment.
Optimism for Germany
Turning to his own country, Merz urged Germans not to adopt a 'disaster mode' regarding global affairs and encouraged a more optimistic outlook on Germany'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 asserted.
Backlash from Trump Allies
The comments drew an immediate and furious response from Donald Trump's camp. Richard Grenell, a longtime Republican foreign policy adviser who served as ambassador to Germany during Trump's first term, posted on X: '@_FriedrichMerz has become the European President of the TDS Society,' referring to so-called Trump derangement syndrome. Grenell noted that when Merz met Trump at the White House in March, he was 'completely soft and complimentary,' accusing him of lacking a coherent strategy and being controlled by the German 'woke media.'
Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party, also criticised Merz. 'Merz advises against travelling to the US due to the political climate. Ironically, it is a chancellor who is deliberately leading his own country towards social and economic ruin who is now pointing the finger in warning,' she wrote on social media. 'This is not in Germany's interests.'
Broader US-Germany Tensions
Disputes over trade and military aid for Ukraine have heightened tensions between the US and its European allies, testing the Nato alliance. Merz is grappling with reviving Germany's sluggish economy and has noted that US-Israeli military action in Iran, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has severely damaged European interests.
Late last month, Merz stunned audiences in both Germany and the US by bluntly stating that the Americans were being 'humiliated' by Iran's leadership, angering Trump. Days later, Washington announced a partial troop withdrawal from Germany, home to about 36,000 US military personnel, and imposed tariff hikes on cars imported from the EU, a sector vital to the German economy.
Despite his plunging popularity ratings, Merz has said he is 'not giving up on working on the transatlantic relationship' while declining to retract his criticism of Trump. On Friday, he posted on X that he had spoken with Trump by telephone while the US president was travelling home from China, discussing Iran, Ukraine, and the upcoming Nato summit in Ankara. 'The US and Germany are strong partners in a strong Nato,' Merz concluded.
