SEX POSTERS SELLING WHAT?

This poster is part of a campaign – partly publicly funded – celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Austrian republic and the 10th anniversary of its EU membership. Exactly what a shot of a female crotch adorned with the EU flag has to do with the Austrian celebration I can't imagine.

The poster of three naked people pretending to be Jacques Chirac, HRH Queen Elizabeth and George Bush having sex also has me stumped. I mean, what is the point?

Actually, I think the point is, Europe is fucked.

Via: EU Observer

Update: Paul Belien at The Brussels Journal has more:

European citizens do not like the European Union. In an effort to make the EU more sexy the Austrian authorities decided to subsidize a publicity campaign with a series of 150 posters. 75 artists from various places in Europe were asked to each make two posters, but some of them apparently took the request to present the EU in a sexy fashion too literally. In addition to the one depicted here there is a poster which shows two naked women and one naked man in a sexual pose. The man is wearing a mask with the features of the French President Chirac and the women are masked as Queen Elizabeth of Britain and… the American President W. Bush (one may wonder what he has to do with the EU and why Europeans are meant to see him as a woman).

Belien includes a range of politicians' opinions on the posters and supplies all the appropriate links so you'll want to read the whole thing.

Update II: The Sydney Morning Herald offers this:

Spoof posters displayed across Vienna depicting the Queen having sex with the US and French presidents are causing embarrassment just days ahead of Austria taking over the European Union presidency.

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Part of a series called euroPART and created by artists from all 25 member countries of the EU, the posters were meant to "reflect on the different social, historical and political developments in Europe", said the art project 25peaces, which commissioned the posters.

That the posters are part of Austria's national celebration is not mentioned.

Update III: The ABC arts blog Articulate also offers a bit of selective coverage by focussing on right-wing reaction:

One right-wing politician described the posters as "group sex fantasies" while another said they "were not good for Europe."

If you follow the Brussels Journal link above you'll note that politicians from the left and the right have condemned the posters. Articulate does not mention that the posters are part of an Austrian national celebration.