German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday (May 15, 2026) said he would advise his children ​against living or studying in the United States at ‌the moment, citing a rapidly changing social ​climate and limited opportunities even for ⁠the highly educated.

The remarks highlight tensions between the United States and its European allies under President Donald Trump, with ‌disputesnover trade, the wars in Ukraine and now Iran putting the NATO alliance ‌under strain.

Mr. Merz last month said the ‌United ⁠States was being humiliated in the Iran ⁠war, angering Mr. Trump. Days later, Washington announced a partial troop withdrawal from Germany and tariff hikes on European Union cars, ​a sector where ‌Germany is strong.

Speaking to a young audience at a Catholic convention in Wuerzburg, Mr. Merz said people were too prone to think in “disaster mode” about ‌the state of the world and ​urged Germans to feel more optimistic about their own 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 wouldn’t recommend that my children go to the U.S. today, get their education there, and work there, simply because a social climate has suddenly developed there,” said Mr. Merz, a 70-year-old father of three.

“Today, the ‌best-educated people in America have great difficulty finding a job.”

Mr. Merz ​took office in 2025 as a self-professed transatlanticist but has since criticised Germany’s ⁠most powerful ally. Mr. Trump, in turn, said Mr. Merz should ⁠focus on fixing his own “broken country”.

“I am a great admirer of America,” Mr. Merz told ‌his audience. “My admiration isn’t growing at the moment,” he said to laughter and applause.