March 10, 2026

I Left Germany for Spain — Now I’m Leaving Europe (E189)

1 hour 31 minutes

One-line summary: Chris Consultant joins Jesse to explain why he is leaving Germany, arguing that high taxes, bureaucracy, demographic decline, energy policy failures, and shrinking free speech have made Europe increasingly hostile to productive people.

Guest bio:

Chris Consultant is a banking and finance consultant, entrepreneur, YouTuber, and Substack writer.

He creates content about taxes, economic decline, bureaucracy, demographics, AI, and the reasons behind his decision to leave Germany for Spain, with a longer-term goal of leaving Europe altogether.

Topics discussed:

Germany’s tax burden on self-employed workers

Public health insurance and the myth of “free” European healthcare

Church tax in Germany

Mandatory public broadcasting fees

Free speech, censorship, and arrests for online speech

Germany’s energy policy and nuclear shutdowns

Europe’s bureaucracy and anti-innovation culture

Demographic decline, pensions, immigration, and welfare incentives

Why Chris is moving from Germany to Spain

Whether Europe still has a future

How AI may reshape work and consulting

The widening gap between U.S. and European innovation

Common American myths about Europe

Quality-of-life tradeoffs between Europe and the United States

Main points:

Chris says Germany heavily punishes productivity, especially for self-employed workers, through VAT, public health insurance costs, and high income taxes.

He argues that European healthcare is not really “free,” but instead funded through large mandatory monthly payments and taxes.

He describes Germany as overregulated and bureaucratic, saying the system rewards administrators more than builders, entrepreneurs, or innovators.

He believes Europe’s low fertility, aging population, pension burdens, and immigration trends are pushing the continent toward long-term instability.

He argues that Germany’s shutdown of nuclear energy and rising energy costs reflect political incompetence and are hurting industry and households.

He says many Germans no longer feel comfortable speaking openly because of social pressure, media narratives, and legal consequences tied to online speech.

He sees Spain as a short-term upgrade in quality of life because of weather, food, lower prices, and a more relaxed culture, but not as a permanent answer.

He advises younger people to stay flexible, develop specialized skills, learn AI early, and move toward low-tax, opportunity-rich environments.

Top 3 quotes:

“It’s not very incentivizing to keep killing yourself and being productive when most of the money you earn is not ending in your pocket after all.”

“The U.S. innovates first. Europe regulates first.”

“You have to enjoy life. It’s short and you’ve got to make the best out of it.”

🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright
💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/
📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us.

Thanks for listening!

...more

View all episodes

By El Podcast Media

99 ratings