Friedrich Merz, the Germany's CDU chancellor, delivered an extraordinary warning to young Germans on Thursday, publicly advising them against seeking opportunities in the United States—a remarkable departure from the traditionally Atlanticist Christian Democratic Union.
"Ich würde meinen Kindern heute nicht empfehlen, in die USA zu gehen," Merz told an audience at the Catholic Congress in Würzburg, declaring he would not recommend his own children move to America. The chancellor cited deteriorating social conditions and employment challenges facing even highly educated Americans as reasons for his stark assessment.
Speaking before young people, Merz expressed particular concern about what he described as America's rapid social transformation. According to the Tagesspiegel, he noted that well-educated Americans now face significant difficulties finding employment—an observation that represents a fundamental challenge to the traditional German view of America as a land of opportunity.
"Ich bin ein großer Bewunderer Amerikas, meine Bewunderung nimmt im Augenblick nicht zu," Merz said, acknowledging his admiration for America while noting it is currently in decline. The remarks follow earlier criticism of President Trump's Iran strategy, in which Merz described the United States as appearing "humiliated" in negotiations and lacking coherent regional policy.
In Germany, as elsewhere in Europe, consensus takes time—but once built, it lasts. The CDU's Atlanticist orientation has defined German foreign policy for decades, making 's public skepticism about American society particularly significant. The chancellor's willingness to question the American model signals a of transatlantic relations beyond mere policy disagreements with the Trump administration.
