What do you make of the recent comments by the German chancellor about the US?
Recently, the German chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke at a conference of German Catholics.
He said: "I would not recommend to my children today that they go to the US to get an education and to work." He also spoke of "the social climate that has suddenly developed" in the United States and said that "even the best educated in America have great difficulty in finding a job".
For context, Merz is a mainstream conservative and transatlanticist. He and his peers within the German political establishment are as pro-America as they come.
These comments challenge the notion of America being the land of opportunity.
What do you make of these comments? Do you believe that they are accurate? Additionally, do you believe that certain policies under Trump or his predecessors have contributed to this situation?
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/15/friedrich-merz-germany-children-study-work-us-politics