The French Ministry of Commerce has condemned the “unacceptable” US interference on Saturday, after the US Embassy in Paris sent several letters to French firms warning of the use of diversity programs known as DEI, the honor of Donald Trump.
The letters, sent to the French companies that are currently doing or seeking to do business with the United States, include an attached questionnaire that requires companies to confirm that “do not practice programs to promote diversity, fairness and inclusion” or DEI.
The questionnaire, which was shared with AFP, added that such programs “violate the applicable federal anti -discrimination law” in the United States, where Trump signed an order banning Federal DEI programs on the day he returned to his second term as president.
France, already excited about Trump’s moves to reduce huge import tariffs, returned through the Foreign Trade Ministry.
“American interference in French companies’ policies is unacceptable, just like its unjustified tariff threats,” the ministry said.
“France and Europe will defend their companies, their consumers and their values.”
Designed to provide opportunities for blacks, women and other historically excluded groups, DEI programs have attracted Trump’s anger and his followers, who say they are discriminatory and incompatible with meritocracy.
The letter, first published on Friday by the Le Figaro newspaper, told companies that Trump’s executive order on January 20 against Dei programs “also refers to all contractors and suppliers of the US government, regardless of nationality or country of business”.
Gives them five days to fill, sign and return the questionnaire.
The cabinet of Economy Minister Eric Lombard said the letter “reflects the values of the new US government”.
“They are not ours,” it says. “The minister will remind his US colleagues about it.”
“Attack on our sovereignty”
It was not clear how many companies the letter received.
The Ministry of Economy estimated that “several dozen” had received it, but said there was still no final figure.
The US Embassy did not respond immediately to the commentary request.
As reported in the press, the letter was not on the letter at the US Embassy.
“If the companies got it in that format, it is not official communication, and much less diplomatic,” said Christopher Mennowuh, a Paris -based US business lawyer for AFP.
The US government cannot force French companies to follow their laws, added Mesnowuh, by law firm Filfisher.
“French companies will now not be required to apply the US Labor Law or Federal Law against affirmative action policies,” he said.
In fact, most affirmative action policies are illegal in France, which prohibit treatment based on origin, ethnic group or religion, although many large companies have tried to diversify their employment pools.
However, France requires companies with more than 1,000 employees to promote equality in women under the 2021 law, with benchmarks, such as at least 30 percent of women directors.
This means that a French company that adheres to the requests set out in the US letter may risk breaking the law in France.
The head of the French business group CPME, Amir Reza-Tofigi, called the letter “attack on France’s sovereignty” and urged political and business leaders to “stand together” against it.
Gererrard Re of the French Work Confederation CGT urged the government “to tell companies not to accept any policy that harms equality between men and women or the fight against racism.”
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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