European political leaders and business figures have strongly criticised a recent move by the United States to pressure companies into abandoning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, calling it unwelcome interference and an affront to European values.
Ministers from France and Belgium were among those to denounce a request, reportedly made by the US State Department under the Trump administration, for companies to disavow DEI or positive discrimination programmes. The policy shift, part of a wider campaign targeting educational institutions, corporate entities and public services, has sparked backlash across the continent.
“It is out of the question that we will prevent our businesses from promoting further social progress and social rights,” French Minister for Gender Equality Aurore Bergé said in an interview with BFMTV on Sunday. “Thankfully, many French companies do not intend to alter their policies.”
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Jan Jambon echoed the sentiment, saying on RTL-TVi, “We have a culture of non-discrimination in Europe, and we must preserve it. We have no lessons to learn from the boss of America.”
The controversy emerged following a letter sent to several French firms, first reported by Les Echos, in which the US embassy in Paris asked companies to certify that they do not engage in DEI or positive action schemes. The letter, signed by Stanislas Parmentier, the embassy’s contracting officer, went so far as to request detailed justifications from companies that refused to comply, for review by legal teams.
Similar communications have reportedly been received by businesses in other EU member states, including Italy, Spain and Belgium.
In a sharp rebuke, France’s trade ministry said on Saturday, “American interference in the inclusion policies of French companies, as well as unjustified threats of tariffs, are unacceptable.” The office of Economy Minister Eric Lombard added that he intends to raise the matter directly with US officials. “This practice reflects the values of the new American government. They are not ours,” read a statement issued on Friday.
French business leaders have also stood firm. “We cannot yield. We have values and rules, and we must uphold them,” said Patrick Martin, president of Medef, France’s largest employers’ federation, during an appearance on LCI television on Sunday.
The diplomatic row threatens to intensify an already simmering transatlantic trade dispute, with the Trump administration poised to unveil a fresh round of tariffs on 2 April.
