Donald Trump. Photo: Andrew Harnik / Getty images
Donald Trump’s administration is requiring French companies that have contracts with the US government to confirm compliance with a new executive order banning equality, diversity and inclusion(DEI) programmes. This decision has caused an international outcry and called into question the extraterritorial impact of US policy, Reuters reports.
Washington’s policy and its implications for Europe
According to the document, which the companies received through the US Embassy in Paris, all suppliers to the US government, regardless of nationality or location, must comply with Executive Order 14173, entitled “Ending Unlawful Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” .
The companies have received an official request to confirm their compliance with the decree or explain the reasons for refusal. Otherwise, they may lose the opportunity to cooperate with the US government.
France criticises, but business is forced to comply
This requirement has become particularly controversial in France, where diversity policy is governed by strict laws. Unlike in the US, French companies cannot collect data on race and ethnicity, and DEI measures are mainly focused on gender equality and social status.
The French government has already announced that it will raise this issue in talks with Washington. A senior French Finance Ministry official said:
“This practice reflects the values of the new US government, which are different from ours. The minister will remind his American colleagues of this.”
Nevertheless, some French companies have already received requests from Washington. For example, the state-owned telecoms giant Orange confirmed that it had received the document, while the defence concern Thales and the oil company TotalEnergies, which have business in the US, have not yet been subjected to such pressure.
Europe fears Trump’s policy expansion
European leaders are concerned that the Trump administration is not only changing the US approach to DEI, but is also trying to extend its policy initiatives beyond the US. This is happening against the backdrop of already difficult relations between the EU and the US due to trade disputes, new tariffs and defence cooperation.
At the moment, it is unclear whether the same requirements have been imposed on other European companies outside France. However, experts do not rule out that Washington could apply a similar policy to Germany, the UK and other key allies.
