Donald Trump’s anti-diversity crusade has officially gone global.
European companies have been left reeling after receiving letters from US embassies instructing them to comply with a sweeping executive order banning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programmes if they want to keep doing business with the American government.
Sent by US diplomats in Paris, Brussels and eastern EU states, the letters warn that any company providing goods or services to Washington must certify they do not run DEI programmes that violate “applicable anti-discrimination laws.”
The certification comes with legal weight under the False Claims Act – essentially making DEI initiatives a potential breach of contract.
“It’s crazy… but everything is now possible,” said a senior banker in Paris.
“The rule of the strongest now prevails.”
According to sources and documents seen by the Financial Times, the certification form is titled: “Compliance with applicable federal anti-discrimination law”. It includes a questionnaire demanding detailed confirmation of adherence to the Trump administration’s ideological stance.
The move has triggered alarm in European capitals.
“This practice reflects the values of the new US government. They are not the same as ours,” said a source close to French economy minister Eric Lombard.
France is expected to raise the issue formally with its US counterparts.
The crackdown follows similar pressure applied to US companies like Disney, and lands amid an increasingly fractious US-EU relationship over trade, security and defence spending. Just this week, Trump imposed fresh tariffs on European auto imports, reigniting fears of a trade war.
Legal experts suggest the extraterritorial order may be unenforceable, and several companies are said to be considering non-compliance.
Yet the political message is loud and clear: America’s culture wars are no longer domestic – they’re being exported. For Europe’s multinationals, the cost of transatlantic business now includes navigating Washington’s ideological minefield.
