France defends itself: US printing on companies is not acceptable!

France defends itself: US printing on companies is not acceptable!

The French Ministry of Commerce has emphasized in a current statement that France and Europe are determined to defend their companies, consumers and basic values. This statement is followed by a controversial advance of the US message in Paris, which asks French large-scale companies to hire their anti-discrimination programs. The American influence is criticized by French civil servants: on the inside as "unacceptable" because it represents a direct interference in the matters of French companies. An official from the French finance minister Eric Lombard announced that he would talk about this matter.

In the US message letter, companies are given up to fill out and return a form within five days. In the case of non-approval, the companies should explain their reasons in detail. The affected companies come from various areas, including defense and infrastructure. It is particularly noteworthy that the French telecommunications group orange, which has no business in the USA, was also written to. In contrast, companies such as the armaments company Thales and the energy provider have not received total energy that works in the United States. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung also reports that US President Donald Trump has signed a decree in January Diversity programs in ministries and federal authorities abolish.

insight into the legal background

The said decree 14173 bears the title "termination of illegal discrimination and restoration of performance-related opportunities" and not only applies to US companies, but also to all suppliers and service providers of the US government, regardless of their nationality or location. The aim is to prevent private companies from hiring relatives of marginalized groups and reduce diversity, equality and inclusion (dei). This has already caused US companies such as Walmart and Coca-Cola to adapt their anti-discrimination policy. European corporations such as Roche, Novartis and UBS have also withdrawn their own goals, especially for women's quotas.

The political dispute over diversity and anti -discrimination is not new in the EU and especially in France. The diversity approach aims to promote a culture of recognition and appreciation of social diversity. In Germany and other European countries, diversity considered are often seen as a resource and not just as a question of equality. The change from equality policies towards a diversity approach is also evident in combating multiple discrimination and the endeavor to enable inclusion of all individuals. Heinrich-Böll-Foundation emphasizes that this approach also creates a socially valuable perspective.