The U.S. State Department is planning to close almost a dozen consulates mainly in Western Europe in the coming months and is exploring reducing its workforce globally, according to multiple U.S. officials. Additionally, the Department is considering merging several expert bureaus in Washington, focusing on areas such as human rights, refugees, global criminal justice, women's issues, and efforts against human trafficking.
It has been reported that U.S. missions globally have been requested to downsize both American and locally employed staff by at least 10%, aligning with an overarching cost-cutting initiative spearheaded by President Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk under the "America First" agenda. This initiative aims to revamp the U.S. foreign service to ensure adherence to the president's foreign policy goals and eliminate what is perceived as disloyalty within the bureaucracy.
Criticisms have arisen regarding the potential impact of reducing the U.S. diplomatic presence and dissolving the U.S. Agency for International Development, posing a risk of creating a strategic void for competitors like China and Russia. Trump and Musk argue that the government is oversized, and U.S. aid has been misused and inefficient.
Among the consulates under review for closure are those in Leipzig, Hamburg, and Dusseldorf in Germany; Bordeaux, Rennes, Lyon, and Strasbourg in France; and Florence in Italy, as well as U.S. consulates in Belo Horizonte in Brazil and Ponta Delgada in Portugal. However, decisions are not final, as some are advocating for these consulates to remain open.
The State Department aims to optimize its global operations to tackle contemporary challenges effectively, as stated by a department spokesperson. Recent months have seen a reevaluation of diplomatic missions worldwide, leading to reductions in various offices and programs, reflecting an apparent lack of structural planning according to some critics.
As the administration pushes for performance-based cuts, several contractors have been let go, signaling changes in the department's staffing structure. Diplomatic efforts in various regions are under scrutiny, calling for justification of mission relevance to the "America First" agenda. The State Department operates in over 270 diplomatic missions worldwide, employing nearly 70,000 individuals, with the majority being locally engaged staff. The recent freeze on U.S. foreign aid has resulted in staff terminations and significant reductions in humanitarian aid initiatives.