France's foreign trade minister is "deeply shocked" by letters sent by the United States' embassy in Paris, warning French companies against using diversity programmes, calling it an "incursion" on French values.
"We cannot compromise on inclusion policies that push our country to progress on equality," Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin told RTL radio , defending France's policies "particularly on equality between women and men in the fight against discrimination and racism, and the promotion of diversity to help people with disabilities."
According to the economy ministry, a few dozen French companies doing business with the US government, or looking to do so, received letters asking them to certify that they do not practice programmes to promote diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI, a target of US President Donald Trump.
Trump crackdown on anti-discrimination law hits French firms, sparking backlash
Since his inauguration in January, Trump has made eliminating DEI initiatives a priority, arguing that such programmes are themselves discriminatory – a stance that continues to fuel debate both in the US and internationally.
Economy minister Eric Lombard's office said Trump’s views of DEI "are not ours".
"I consider that we do not have the same values," Saint-Martin said, adding that it was "not acceptable" to impose such rules on French companies, who are subject to French laws, calling it "a further step of American extra-territoriality, this time in the field of values".
According to the minister, France will raise the issue with the US embassy in France to understand "the real intention" of the letters.
France's foreign ministry unveils two-year gender equality strategy
'We have rules'
"It is out of the question that we will prevent our business from promoting additional social progress, social rights," Minister for gender equality Aurore Bergé told BFM television on Sunday.
"Thankfully, a lot of French companies do not plan to change their policies."
Patrick Martin, head of French employers' federation Medef, said that it was out of the question for French companies to renounce inclusion rules. "We have values, rules, we have to respect them," he told LCI.
(with newswires)
