Germany news: Chancellor Merz says he wouldn't advise his kids to go to the US
Key takeaways
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he wouldn't currently advise young Germans like his children to move to the US to study or work.
- "I am a great admirer of America, but right now my admiration is not increasing," he said, to laughter from the 1,600-strong audience — many of them young people.
- Merz famously spent much of his career in business traveling to and from the US as part of his work with the Blackrock investment management company.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he wouldn't currently advise young Germans like his children to move to the US to study or work. He cited "the social climate that has suddenly developed." DW has more.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dn8YMerz's comments follow a period in which he has frequently appeared to upset the sometimes sensitive Donald Trump Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Speaking at a Catholic convention, Friedrich Merz said that his great admiration of the US was 'not increasing' at the moment The German chancellor also said he had a 'good phone call' with US President Donald Trump Germany's government is predicting a clear economic slowdown in the second quarter Rising energy prices have led to lower production and job losses in Germany's energy-intensive industries Reports of a dead whale off Denmark have sparked questions about the fate of a humpback that spent weeks stuck off Germany's Baltic Sea coast Below is a roundup of news headlines from Germany on Friday, May 15, 2026:
Published 05/15/2026Published May 15, 2026last updated 05/15/2026last updated May 15, 2026Merz says he wouldn't advise his kids to go to the USChristoph StrackGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he wouldn't advise his own children or other young Germans to move to the US for study or work.