French officials have accused U.S. diplomats of interfering in the operations of French companies. This follows reports that the U.S. Embassy in Paris sent letters to major French firms, urging compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order terminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the U.S. federal government. The letter stated that this order “applies to all suppliers and service providers of the U.S. Government, regardless of their nationality and the country in which they operate,” and requested recipients to certify their compliance within five days.
Aurore Bergé, France’s Minister for Equality between Women and Men and Combating Discrimination, condemned the letter as an attempt to impose a “diktat” on French businesses. She emphasized that many companies have indicated they do not intend to respond to what they perceive as an ultimatum from the U.S. Embassy. Bergé stated, “It’s out of the question that we’ll prevent our business from promoting social progress.”
The French government is closely monitoring the situation to assess the extent of the letter’s reach and its potential impact on French enterprises. The U.S. Embassy in Paris has not responded to inquiries regarding this matter.
