German leader Merz says he ‘would not advise my children to go’ to US
Chancellor says he no longer views US as land of opportunity amid ‘deeply polarising’ social climate
TL;DR
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz advised against his children studying or working in the US due to its polarizing social climate.
- Merz expressed that he no longer views the US as the land of opportunity.
- He urged Germans to be optimistic about opportunities in Germany and avoid "disaster mode."
- Merz's comments were criticized by Richard Grenell, a former US ambassador to Germany, who accused him of "Trump derangement syndrome."
- Alice Weidel, a German far-right leader, also criticized Merz, stating his comments were not in Germany's interests.
- Merz has been dealing with the economic impact of global events and has had recent disputes with Donald Trump over the Iran conflict.
- Despite tensions, Merz stated he is working on the transatlantic relationship and discussed current global issues with Trump via telephone.