The French Economic Ministry has reportedly pushed back by saying that the values of the Trump administration were not those of Paris
Washington has requested that French companies working for the US government end all their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in order to comply with the policies of President Donald Trump, media outlets Le Figaro and Les Echos have reported.
An executive order “concerning the end of unlawful discrimination and restoring merit-based employment opportunities” signed by Trump is mandatory for “all suppliers and contractors” of the US government, regardless of their country of origin, the US embassy told French companies in a letter obtained by Le Figaro.
The US President had previously launched a campaign to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in all federal agencies. The fight against “woke policies,” such as the promotion of so-called gender reassignment treatment among minors, was a key part of Trump’s campaign. He signed multiple executive orders rolling back DEI initiatives after taking office.
In an order dated January 21, a day after his inauguration, the US president called DEI “an illegal, corrosive, and pernicious system” that goes against “our long-standing federal civil rights laws.”
According to the French media, each letter was accompanied by a “form of compliance” the contractors had to fill and send back within five days. The document required them to explicitly state they were “in compliance with all applicable federal anti-discrimination laws” of the US and to vow not to offer any DEI programs, Le Figaro said. Otherwise, the companies were reportedly encouraged to provide the embassy with “detailed reasons” for not filling the form.
According to Le Figaro, it is unclear how many companies received the letter. The embassy itself has not confirmed sending it. Instead, the US diplomats said that “measures were taken by the administration put an end to decades of waste, fraud, and abuse,” adding that the diplomatic mission reviewed a total of 15,600 contracts, loans and foreign aid programs.
The move reportedly sparked an uproar within the government of France. “This practice reflects the values of the new American government. They are not ours,” a senior French Economy and Finance Ministry official told Le Figaro, adding that Minister Eric Lombard would “remind his counterparts within the American government of this.”