official announcement from the EU: Bulgaria is not a 'toilet'

Can this EU art nonsense become any more farcical?

The EU Czech presidency has defended its decision to pull a black curtain over the part of its art exhibition that portrays Bulgaria as a toilet.

The huge three-dimensional "Entropa" mosaic, which hangs over the entrance to the main EU Council building, depicts each of the EU's 27 countries using provocative symbols linked to national stereotypes.

Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, protested against being depicted as a squat toilet.

A black cloth appeared on Monday night to cover up the Bulgarian section of Entropa.

Given it was an installation depicting national stereotypes, quite frankly I think Bulgaria got off lightly. What would it have preferred? A depiction of a mafia murder

"We have covered the part devoted to Bulgaria at the request of its foreign ministry," Czech presidency spokesman Jan Vytopil told this website on Wednesday.

“It is not a question of censorship or an attack on artistic freedom. On the contrary, it is because we support such freedoms that we allowed the exhibition in the first place. Hopefully, this will be the end of the matter.”

But I wouldn't want you to think that this was in any way a signal that the EU is either entirely lacking in sense of humour or censors art.

"We have covered the part devoted to Bulgaria at the request of its foreign ministry," Czech presidency spokesman Jan Vytopil told this website on Wednesday.

No, really, it's not censorship:

“It is not a question of censorship or an attack on artistic freedom. On the contrary, it is because we support such freedoms that we allowed the exhibition in the first place. Hopefully, this will be the end of the matter.”

You see! You're lucky it happened in the first place and for that you should be grateful.