Danish artist unveils golden statue of naked Donald Trump at European Parliament in Strasbourg
Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt and MEP Per Clausen installed a 2.5-meter gilded statue titled Orange Plague in the European Parliament hub in Strasbourg, where it will remain on display through Thursday.
Gilded satire in the parliamentary corridor
A 2.5-meter satirical sculpture depicting United States President Donald Trump naked and perched on the shoulders of a struggling man was unveiled on Tuesday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The work, titled "Orange Plague" and also known as "King of Injustice", stands in a central thoroughfare connecting two parliamentary buildings during the plenary session. Crafted from copper and coated in 23-carat gold, the statue depicts Trump with his eyes closed, holding the scales of justice in his right hand, resting on an elongated golf club in his left, and standing above a small model of the Earth styled as a golf ball.
The plinth of the sculpture carries a dedicated inscription, which was also printed on business cards distributed beside the installation: "I am sitting on the back of a man. He is sinking under my weight. I will do everything to help him. Except get off his back." Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt drew inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes" to portray powerful states dominating smaller nations, suggesting that the exhausted man bearing the weight represents the European Union.
Plenary installation and exhibition timeline
The exhibition in Strasbourg was arranged by Danish MEP Per Clausen, a member of The Left parliamentary group. Transport teams delivered the sculpture to the parliament complex on Monday morning concealed under an orange shroud, before unveiling the gilded figure on Tuesday morning as legislators arrived for plenary debates.
- Sculpture is exhibited during the United Nations climate conference in Brazil
- Sculpture is displayed at the Munich Security Conference
- Artwork arrives at the European Parliament under an orange shroud
- Sculpture is officially unveiled in the Strasbourg parliamentary hub
- Scheduled final day of the European Parliament exhibition
Prior to arriving in Strasbourg, the statue was displayed at the United Nations climate summit in Brazil and at the Munich Security Conference. Parliamentary organizers scheduled the work to remain on view through Thursday, positioning it at one of the highest-traffic pedestrian junctions in the European Parliament complex.
Political reactions and artist statements
The display drew crowds of lawmakers and parliamentary staff, with observers pausing to photograph the sculpture or notify colleagues. Per Clausen defended the exhibition against political objections, arguing that figures on the global stage must tolerate public satire.
If someone is so thin-skinned that they cannot bear this sculpture being exhibited in the European Parliament, then they have no business on the world stage.
Galschiøt explained that the sculpture addresses the risks he believes Trump poses to the international order, multilateral diplomacy, and climate change agreements. The sculptor noted that in discussions with Chinese acquaintances, he historically defended Western norms such as freedom of speech and private property rights, but argued that Trump's political conduct has eroded those principles.
It is a really big statement to put a naked president, in gold, in the center of Parliament.
The installation drew public objections from right-wing lawmakers, including Belgian MEP Tom Vandendriessche and fellow MEP Barbara Bonte, both representing the Patriots for Europe parliamentary group. In response to potential challenges or removal requests, Galschiøt stated that organizers would place the sculpture on a scooter and transport it through the public streets of Strasbourg.
