Specifically, the Trump administration has just opened the new front of its anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) jihad to European firms. This proposed move has alarmed the French finance ministry. U.S. diplomats in Belgium and in eastern E.U. states like Poland and Hungary have made personal outreach to a number of French companies. These letters have saturated multiple sectors such as aviation, defense, consulting, and infrastructure. These letters threaten legal action if the universities do not cease enforcement of an executive order prohibiting DEI programs to receive U.S. government contracts.
The letters, distributed by American embassies in Paris and across the European Union, contain a questionnaire requiring companies to certify adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws. This decision has understandably sent French officials into a tizzy. They argue that core values of the American government are in direct opposition to those espoused by the French government. At the same time, the French finance ministry has voiced its deep concerns about the impact of the U.S. counter-terrorism financing approach has had on its national companies.
That’s why the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has acted. Specifically, they have notified Walt Disney and its ABC subsidiary that they are conducting a secretive investigation into the companies’ DEI initiatives. This even further expands the reach of the administration’s campaign, underscoring a heavy-handed enforcement of the executive order.
French companies that would be impacted by these requirements are not just French multinationals, but all major companies in the aviation, defense, and infrastructure sectors. These industries are critical to France’s economic security and strategic autonomy in defence, and they have deep links with the U.S. through government-to-government contracts. These companies have an uphill battle. They need to show that they can comply with U.S. demands while not betraying national values.