The letter was signed by Stanislas Parmentier, the general services officer at the US embassy in Paris, according to the US State Department directory. Under normal circumstances, it would have remained under the radar, but this is the age of Donald Trump. Revealed by French economic daily Les Echos on Friday, March 28, the letter – Le Monde also obtained a copy of it – instructed the French companies to which it was addressed to respect the rules laid down by Trump, which ban all positive discrimination in favor of diversity and gender parity (DEI, for Diversity Equity Inclusion). "We inform you that Executive Order 14173, ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunities, signed by President Trump, applies to all suppliers and service providers for the US government, regardless of their nationality or the country in which they operate," wrote the embassy employee, who asked respondents to sign "within five days (...) a form for compliance with the US anti-discrimination law."

The letter instantly created a stir in Paris, and escalated to senior management and even board levels. The extent of the problem was unknown: Was it restricted to suppliers to the embassy or the State Department? This was what the preamble to the form to be signed suggested, explaining that "all Department of State contractors must certify that they do not operate any programs promoting DEI."

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