France and the United States are butting heads again, this time over a letter sent by U.S. diplomats to major French companies. The letter, which reportedly urged French businesses to comply with an American stance on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), has sparked outrage in France, with government officials calling it an unacceptable interference in domestic affairs.
The Letter That Started It All
According to Le Figaro, a well-known French newspaper, the U.S. Embassy in Paris sent letters to several top French firms. The message? They were expected to confirm they were not running DEI programs that violated a recent American executive order.
The order in question, signed by former President Donald Trump in January, effectively banned DEI programs in the U.S. federal government and its suppliers. The embassy’s letter stated that the order applied to “all suppliers and service providers of the U.S. government, regardless of their nationality and the country in which they operate.”
French companies were given just five days to sign and return a certification proving they were in compliance. Those who didn’t comply were asked to provide a detailed explanation, which would be forwarded to the U.S. Embassy’s legal department.
French Government Outraged
The reaction from the French government was swift and fierce. Aurore Bergé, France’s Minister for Equality, called the letter “completely unacceptable” and accused the U.S. of trying to impose its own policies on French businesses.
“It’s out of the question that we will let American diplomats tell French companies how to handle their policies,” Bergé stated in an interview with BFMTV. “Luckily, many of them have already refused to respond to this request.”
French officials are now investigating just how many businesses received the letter and whether any companies complied.
A History of Diplomatic Clashes
This isn’t the first time France has taken issue with U.S. actions on its soil. In 2015, France summoned the U.S. ambassador after learning that the National Security Agency (NSA) had been spying on French presidents for years. In 2013, reports surfaced that the NSA had monitored millions of phone calls in France, sparking outrage.
Now, this latest controversy is reigniting concerns about U.S. interference. While this time it’s not about espionage, the issue still cuts deep—especially since it touches on corporate autonomy and social policies.
How This Affects France-U.S. Relations
France and the U.S. have always had a complex relationship—strong allies in many areas, but not afraid to call each other out when necessary. This latest dispute could strain ties further, particularly as France sees it as an overreach of American influence into private business affairs.
At its core, this controversy raises a bigger question: How much say should one country have over another’s corporate policies? While the U.S. has every right to set rules for its own government contractors, forcing foreign companies to abide by those rules is a different matter altogether.
For now, the French government is making it clear—U.S. interference won’t be tolerated. Whether this leads to further diplomatic tensions remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: France isn’t backing down.