A gilded statue of a nude Donald Trump went on display at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on October 6, 2026, bringing political satire into one of the European Union’s most prominent institutions.
Titled “Orange Plague” and also known as “King of Injustice,” the sculpture was created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt. It depicts the US president sitting naked on the shoulders of a much smaller man, with a long golf club in his hand. The artwork uses an exaggerated portrayal of Trump to make a political statement about power, responsibility and the people who carry its burdens.
The statue stands approximately 2.5 metres tall, including its pedestal. According to Galschiøt, its surface is coated in 23-karat gold, giving the sculpture a striking appearance. It was unveiled on Tuesday after an orange cloth covering it was removed, revealing the figure to visitors and staff at the parliament.
The artwork was installed at a busy intersection inside the European Parliament’s buildings in Strasbourg, where it connects two buildings and is likely to attract attention from people moving through the complex. According to the announcement, the exhibition was scheduled to run until Thursday, October 8.
The display was arranged at the invitation of Per Clausen, a Danish left-wing member of the European Parliament. Clausen defended the decision to exhibit the sculpture, arguing that public figures should be able to withstand artistic criticism.
“If someone is so thin-skinned that they cannot tolerate this sculpture being exhibited in the European Parliament, then they have no place on the world stage,” Clausen said.
Business cards placed beside the sculpture offer a further explanation of its message. They attribute a statement to the “King of Injustice” that reads: “I am sitting on the back of a man. He is sinking under the burden. I would do anything to help him. Except stepping down from his back.”
The statement presents the smaller figure as someone struggling under the weight of a more powerful person, while the refusal to step down serves as the central point of the satire. By placing the sculpture inside the European Parliament, its organisers have brought that message into a setting associated with European politics and public debate.
The exhibition adds another example of how artists use public figures and recognisable symbols to challenge political power. In this case, the nude figure, the gold coating and the golf club combine to create a deliberately provocative image of the American president. The organisers’ decision to display it in a busy area of the parliament ensures that the work is encountered not only as an artwork but also as a direct political statement.
