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There is a diplomatic scandal in the Swedish capital. Stockholm’s Vice Mayor Jan Valescog has publicly stated that the city has no intention of fulfilling the requirements of a letter received from the Donald Trump administration. The document called for the abandonment of diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) programmes if the city wanted to cooperate with the US government.
“This is something absolutely crazy. Our priorities are determined by us, not by the embassies of other countries,” Valescog told The Guardian.
According to the official, the letter demanded that a form be signed confirming that the city had no diversity programmes in place. Otherwise, the American side asked for a written explanation “for legal verification”.
Valescog added that he was impressed: “This is the first time we have received such a request at the municipal level. All our values are equality, fairness and openness.”
The news of the letter caused a wave of outrage in Sweden. Local media, including Dagens Nyheter, received hundreds of outraged letters. “The people of the country are shocked: it seemed that these American practices were far away. But now they are on our doorstep,” says Valescog.
The Swedish government has not yet officially commented on the incident. The US Embassy in Stockholm has not responded, although Valescog demanded that the letter be withdrawn on Tuesday.
