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The Trump administration is applying pressure on French companies
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Several dozen of them have in recent days received a letter from the U.S. Embassy
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asking them to put an end to any practice of positive discrimination
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If they fail to do so, they risk being unable to win U.S. federal government contracts
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A form was attached to the letter in which each company is asked to certify
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that it doesn't operate any programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. One businessman quoted in the first person said
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French business paper Les Ecole said, when I was told about this letter, I thought at first
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that it was a fake. Another comment was that all those with major contracts in the United States
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will nevertheless have to make choices. This letter comes out of the US President Donald
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Trump signed an executive order in January declaring diversity programs illegal. In France
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meanwhile, companies with more than 250 employees must have a minimum of female representation of 40
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on the board of directors. Trump wants to impose these rules outside the borders
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He wants to continue what he's already doing in the U.S., dismantling the state and weakening all protections for the weakest
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We can only reply that France and Europe are sovereign and are still democracies. The French Ministry for Foreign Trade issued a statement
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saying American interference in the inclusion policies of French companies is unacceptable
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Several U.S. companies such as META, Walmart and Ford, have drastically reduced their diversity programs since Donald Trump's inauguration in January
