Trump sculpture at European Parliament raises sparks

A satirical sculpture depicting US President Donald Trump at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, has sparked controversy among European politicians, with critics calling for its removal.

The installation, titled "The Orange Plague," was unveiled Tuesday by Danish artist Jens Galschiot inside the Parliament building.

The 2.6-meter (8.5 feet) sculpture depicts a nude, gold-leaf-covered Trump sitting on the shoulders of a frail man while holding a golf club and the scales of justice.

A plaque accompanying the work reads: "I am sitting on the back of a man. He is sinking under my burden; I will do anything to help him. Except stepping down from his back."

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Thursday called for the sculpture to be removed, describing it as a "sign of the decline of the entire European Union."

"I do not agree with all of the American president's policies, not by a long shot. But at a time that calls for dialogue and mutual respect, insulting our partners on official premises demonstrates a profound failure to understand the times we live in," he wrote on US social media platform X.

Fico questioned whether the European Parliament would accept similar depictions of French President Emmanuel Macron or German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, arguing that the sculpture should be removed from Parliament premises.

The installation has also drawn criticism from several members of the European Parliament.

Belgian MEP Barbara Bonte described the sculpture as "a disgrace," while Hungarian MEP Erno Schaller-Baross said displaying a naked statue of Trump labeled a "plague" was "hypocrisy" and "unworthy of the European Parliament."

Irish MEP Barry Cowen said that it was possible to oppose Trump's policies while still finding the sculpture "silly and objectionable," adding that he had written to parliament to express his disagreement.

However, Danish MEP Per Clausen, who invited Galschiot to display the work, defended the installation.