Czech entropy

The current presidency of the European Union, the Czech Republic headed by the eurosceptic, climate change-denying president, Vaclav Klaus, was confidently expected to divide the Union. But lo! It has united Europe in a collective sense of humour failure of epic proportions – eight tonnes, to be precise.

That is the weight of a sculpture gathering notoriety in the atrium of the Council of Ministers in Brussels. Commissioned by the Czech government to challenge national stereotypes, its mischievous creator opted instead to do for the EU what Borat did for make benefit glorious nation of Kazakhstan.

“Entropa”, by David Cerny, is a collection of nose-thumbing lampoons of the 27 member states, few of which see the joke. Purportedly the work of artists from each EU nation, it is in fact a giant hoax.

Thus, France, with its historic predilection for autocracy moderated by periodic insurrection, is denoted by a single word: Grève! or Strike! Germany is criss-crossed by autobahns in a pattern suspiciously resembling a swastika. The UK, in keeping with its notorious, er, europhilia, is absent. Italy is a football team doing something odd with footballs or, as the blurb helpfully explains, demonstrating “an autoerotic system of sensational spectacle with no climax in sight”.

It gets worse: Romania as a Dracula theme park; Bulgaria as a squat-toilet; or Luxembourg as a lump of gold, up for sale. The Czech entry has a news ticker with the euro­phobic sayings of Mr Klaus, whom his countrymen seem to treat like an eccentric professor in the attic.

The Czech government might have spotted the hoax by the entropic name of the exhibit, but the way it has already fumbled crises such as Gaza and Gazprom suggests a more Laurel and Hardy alertness.

But with perhaps a few modifications to “Entropa” – Bulgaria could certainly use a rethink – the Czechs should keep this sculpture up. It offers a golden opportunity to bring Europeans closer to their remote Union, whose motto hereafter will become: “We can take a joke.”