finance
German Chancellor Says He Would Not Advise His Children to Study or Work in US
Chancellor Friedrich Merz cited the country's social climate and job market difficulties for highly educated workers as reasons not to recommend the United States for his children. The remarks come as tensions with Washington have increased over the Iran conflict, troop levels in Germany and other issues. Merz separately stated that he and the U.S.
May 15, 10:47 AM·2m read2 sources
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday he would not advise his children to study or work in the United States, citing concerns about the country's social climate and job prospects for highly educated young people. Speaking at a Catholic Congress panel in Wuerzburg, Merz said admiration for America was not growing at the moment.
He added that the best-educated in the United States now face great difficulty finding a job, a shift from conditions that existed a year earlier. “I am a great admirer of America. My admiration isn’t growing at the moment,” he said. “So, I wouldn’t recommend to my children today that they go to the U.S., get an education there, and work there.
” The comments reflect broader unease among some European leaders about shifting economic prospects and social conditions in the United States, which has long attracted global talent.
Merz also said Friday that he and the U.S. president agreed Tehran must return to negotiations, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. The two leaders spoke by phone as the U.S. president traveled back from China.
In a post on X, Merz said the discussion also covered a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine. The leaders coordinated positions ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara and affirmed that the United States and Germany remain strong partners in a strong NATO.
The statements signal an easing of recent tensions between Washington and Berlin, which had been strained by disputes over the Iran conflict and Washington’s decision to reduce U.S. troop levels in Germany.
