An official in Sweden has condemned a U.S. demand that his city apply the Trump administration’s rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies for contractors dealing with the American embassy.
Jan Valeskog, Stockholm’s planning vice mayor, described as “bizarre” a letter by the U.S. Embassy in Sweden calling for the capital city’s authorities to formally agree to cease diversity initiatives.
Valeskog told Newsweek on Wednesday that he expected the U.S. Embassy to withdraw the demand but that the city’s good relationship with the mission would continue.
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Firms in other European countries including France, Denmark and the Netherlands have also reported they have received the U.S. request, prompting one Danish official to call for a united EU response.
The U.S. Department of State told Newsweek in April that the directive only applied to foreign contractors for American missions who were being asked to complete one additional piece of paperwork.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department for comment.
Why It Matters
Valeskog’s response is the latest example of Europe pushing back against the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle DEI initiatives across government and industry, which apply beyond U.S. borders.
It follows French companies with U.S. government contracts being asked to comply with its executive orders banning DEI initiatives.
Firms elsewhere in Europe such as Denmark and the Netherlands have also received the missives under the Executive Order on Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (EO 14173) which is straining Washington’s ties with Europe.
What To Know
The U.S. embassy had given Stockholm’s planning office 10 working days to sign a contract stating it would comply with U.S. federal antidiscrimination laws and not operate any DEI programs that violate them, according to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
The letter, which was started with “dear city planning office,” explained how everyone the U.S. government purchases goods and services from must sign the contract, the paper said.
Valeskog told the newspaper that it would refuse such a move which was “the opposite of what we stand for,” as he called for the U.S. to withdraw the demand.
He said it the U.S. embassy that benefits from the City of Stockholm, not the other way around. If the U.S. ended ties with the city’s planning office, the embassy would have difficulty getting a permit for construction. “It’s their headache, not ours,” Valeskog, added according to a translation.
When contacted by Newsweek, Valeskog said Wednesday that he expected the embassy to withdraw its “bizarre demand” and that DEI values were ones that people in the city “strive for and stand up for.”
Dagens Nyheter has reported on Swedish companies facing the same demands and American federal contractors in France, Belgium, Spain and Denmark have also expressed anger at the policy.
The U.S. State Department told Newsweek in April that U.S. missions are reviewing all contracts and grants to ensure they are consistent with White House Executive Orders.
The statement from April 2 said that contractors and grantees are being asked for the certification required by the President’s Executive Order on Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (EO 14173).
This relates only to vendors or other organizations who have or seek to have contracts with, or grants from, U.S. missions, and only asks contractors and grantees to certify compliance with U.S. federal antidiscrimination laws, it said.
“In other words, we are just asking them to complete one additional piece of paperwork,” the statement said. There are generally no U.S. federal antidiscrimination laws applicable to foreign firms operating outside the U.S. unless controlled by a U.S. employer and employ U.S. citizens.
What People Are Saying
Jan Valeskog, Stockholm’s planning vice mayor, told Newsweek: “I expect the embassy to withdraw its bizarre demand directed at the City of Stockholm’s City Planning Department.
He added: “People in Stockholm and Sweden are surprised and upset that President Trump, through the U.S. Embassy, is trying to oppose diversity, equality and inclusion in Sweden. On the contrary, these are values that we strive for and stand up for in Stockholm.
“We have had a good relationship with the U.S. Embassy and the City of Stockholm will continue to work to maintain that.”
The U.S. State Department told Newsweek on April 2: “U.S. missions are reviewing all of our contracts and grants to ensure they are consistent with the recent White House Executive Orders…
“This effort relates solely to vendors or other organizations who have or seek to have contracts with, or grants from, our missions.”
What Happens Next
As the DEI orders continue to anger European firms, the European Union said last month it was examining whether the directives met international rules and mulling a unified response.
Update 5/7/25, 12.40 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a response from Jan Valeskog.
