Tribute or mockery? The statue of Melania Trump who divides her hometown in Slovenia

Melania Trump has her first statue in her hometown of Slovenia. However, the monument in tribute to the first American lady and Sevnica's favorite girl has sparked controversy among neighbors and some have called it "scarecrow".

The statue was inaugurated Friday and it is work of a local craftsman and the 39-year-old American conceptual artist Brad Downey, who claims that it is the first monument in the world dedicated to the wife of US President Donald Trump.

The job was carved with a chainsaw on a trunk and shows the first lady dressed in blue, with her hand raised. The statue, naive style, reproduces the gesture he made during the oath of her husband in 2017.

"I can understand that people think that their physical appearance is not very close," said the artist at the AFP news agency. The result is "absolutely beautiful".

Since Donald Trump became president in 2017, the calm of Sevnica has become a magnet for tourists eager to experience the past of the first American lady.

Local merchants took the opportunity to offer an incredible amount of food or merchandise bearing the Melania name, such as Honey Melania, as well as a walk into the key sites of her early years.

Downey designed the statue as part of a project to explore Slovenian roots and commissioned local craftsman Ales Zupevc, nicknamed "Maxi", to perform the sculpture.

Downey is shocked that "Maxi" was born the same year and in the same hospital as Melania.

"We can see this river and the mountains as she saw them child," added Downey.

In the city, no one was encouraged to express great praise for his work. Nika, a 24-year-old local architecture student, told AFP: "If the monument wants to be a parody, the artist succeeds"

"Here in Sevnica, we can only laugh and stand up for both Trump's catastrophic reputation," he added.

Katarina, 66, says the monument is a "good idea". "Melania is a Slovenian heroine, has managed to reach the highest level in the United States, "he said.