Carnival parade in Germany Dusseldorf's satirical floats target Donald Trump and Brexit
Düsseldorf · Once again, international politics have found their way into Dusseldorf's annual Rose Monday parade: On one float, British PM Theresa May is shown giving birth to a Brexit monstrosity. On another, US President Donald Trump is being sodomized by a Russian bear.
Four out of twelve satirical floats designed by Dusseldorf-based artist Jacques Tilly pick up on topics on the international agenda - and just like last year, the juiciest pieces of satire mock Trump and May.
The Trump float is titled "Russian Affair" and depicts Donald Trump naked, on his stomach, with his tongue hanging out. On his back, there is a huge grinning bear, wearing a black hat with a red star. The Trump figure's face makes clear that it's not enjoying the situation - much like in reality, where Donald Trump again complained about the official investigation into a possible collusion between Russia and presidential campaign, saying it was a "cloud" hanging over the White House.
Another of Tilly's floats this year shows British Prime Minister Theresa May in a Union Jack dress. She has just given birth to a misshapen baby, still attached by an umbilical cord to her womb. Happily she holds it up in the air. The monstrosity is labeled "Brexit".
Jacques Tilly is an outspoken opponent to Britain's plan to leave the European Union. Last year he showed Theresa May with a gun labeled "Brexit" in her mouth. The float was later shown in Britain at demonstrations of anti-Brexit groups (link in German).
Two further floats broach European issues: On one, Poland's and Hungary's heads of government Jarosław Kaczyński and Viktor Orbán cross hammer and sickle of right-wing dictatorship. On another, a Libyan slave-market - where refugees are sold - is depicted as an aid programme financed by the European Union; a critique of the EU's neglect of human-rights violations in Northern Africa.
You can see more pictures of the satirical floats here:
Rose Monday parades are traditionally the high point of Carnival season in Germany and take place on the Monday before Ash Wednesday. The largest ones are held in the neighbouring cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf in western Germany. They are being broadcasted live on television, with hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the streets. Dusseldorf's parade especially is known for it's satirical floats that usually pick up on current affairs.
