Overview

• The U.S. Embassy in Stockholm sent a letter requiring the city’s planning office to certify compliance with Trump administration anti-DEI policies, giving a 10-day deadline for agreement.
• Stockholm Vice Mayor Jan Valeskog called the demand “completely bizarre” and stated the city would not sign the contract, citing Sweden’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion values.
• The European Union is reviewing the legality of the U.S. directives and considering a coordinated response to what many European officials view as an overreach violating national anti-discrimination laws.
• Similar demands have been sent to companies across Europe, but this is the first reported case involving a government office, intensifying concerns over U.S. extraterritorial enforcement.
• The Trump administration defends the measure as a simple paperwork requirement, but European critics argue it undermines fundamental legal and cultural principles.