US to shut some of its consulates in Europe, trim State Dept. staff
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The State Department is considering merging certain bureaus in Washington as part of President Donald Trump’s push to downsize the US government.
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US Consulate in Hong Kong, Wednesday, June 26, 2019 (AP)
The US State Department is preparing to shut down several consulates, primarily in Western Europe, over the coming months while also planning a global workforce reduction, multiple US officials confirmed on Thursday.
Additionally, the department is considering merging several expert bureaus at its Washington headquarters, including those focused on human rights, refugees, global criminal justice, women’s issues, and anti-human trafficking efforts, officials said.
Last month, Reuters reported that US missions worldwide had been instructed to explore cutting both American and locally employed staff by at least 10%.
The move aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader push—backed by billionaire aide Elon Musk—to implement sweeping cost reductions across the federal workforce.
The Republican president aims to ensure that government agencies fully support his "America First" agenda. As part of this effort, he issued an executive order last month to overhaul the US Foreign Service, emphasizing the "faithful and effective" execution of his foreign policy directives.
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to "clean out" what he calls "the deep state" by removing bureaucrats he considers disloyal.
The big picture
Critics warn that downsizing America’s diplomatic presence and dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID) could weaken US influence and create opportunities for what the US considers rivals, such as China and Russia.
Trump and Musk argue that the federal government is too large and that taxpayer-funded aid has been mismanaged through waste and fraud.
Among the consulates under consideration for closure are those in Leipzig, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf in Germany; Bordeaux and Strasbourg in France; and Florence in Italy. However, officials noted that final decisions have not been made, as some staff members are advocating to keep certain offices open.
Separately, the State Department informed Congress on Monday of its plans to close its branch in Gaziantep, a city in southeastern Turkiye that has played a key role in supporting humanitarian efforts in northern Syria.
A State Department spokesperson stated, "The State Department continues to assess our global posture to ensure we are best positioned to address modern challenges on behalf of the American people."
According to its website, the department operates more than 270 diplomatic missions worldwide and employs nearly 70,000 people.
