German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that he would advise his children not to live or study in the United States for the time being, citing the rapidly changing social climate and limited opportunities even for the highly educated.The comments highlight tensions between the United States and its European allies under President Donald Trump, as disputes over trade, wars in Ukraine and now Iran have put the NATO alliance under pressure. Merz said last month that the United States had been humiliated in the Iran war, angering Trump. Days later, Washington announced a partial withdrawal of its forces from Germany.Speaking to a young audience at a Catholic conference in Würzburg, Merz said people were too inclined to think in “disaster mode” about the state of the world, and urged Germans to feel more optimistic about their 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.“I would not advise my children to go to the United States today, to receive their education there, or to work there, simply because the social climate has suddenly developed there,” said Merz, a 70-year-old father of three.“Today, the best-educated people in America have great difficulty finding a job.”
