Slovaks accept Czech apology over Hungarian sausage artwork
2009-01-16

Nations Czech Republic Hungary Slovakia Bulgaria Netherlands City Prague Category Regions Regions Europe Source (AFP)

PRAGUE (AFP) - Slovakia said Friday it had "acknowledged" a Czech apology for the official EU artwork that depicted the country as a Hungarian sausage.

The Slovak foreign ministry said in a statement it "has acknowledged that Czech deputy prime minister for European affairs Alexandr Vondra has... apologised for a possible unintentional insult.

"The Slovak foreign ministry thereafter considers the matter closed," added the ministry which had said Thursday it was contemplating asking the Czechs to remove or cover the Slovak part of the artwork entitled "Entropa."

Created by Czech artist David Cerny to mark the start of the Czech EU presidency on January 1, it is a symbolic map of Europe depicting stereotypes attributed to the 27 European Union member countries.

The map portrays Slovakia as a Hungarian sausage or, possibly, a human body tied by a red-green-and-white string, the national colours of Hungary, in an apparent reference to the historically tense relations of the two neighbours.

Slovak foreign minister Jan Kubis protested to Vondra by phone on Monday, before the artwork was unveiled, the Slovak foreign ministry said earlier.

"Entropa" has already sparked protests from Bulgaria for its depiction of the country as a squat toilet. The Czech EU presidency has apologised to Bulgaria and promised to remove or cover the country's image.

Commissioned by Prague, the sprawling work, which covers 170 square feet (16 square metres), also satirises other member states, depicting the Netherlands as flooded with water, for example, or France as "on strike."