1 Finland
February 2013: In February 2013, famous Finnish student magazine Ylioppilaslehti published its centenarian issue. The cover story was a report by Vappu Kaarenoja, editor-in-chief of Ylioppilaslehti and journalist Aurora Rämö in which they described in a detailed manner how they defecate in their pants on a bus from Helsinki to Turku. The topic caused a sensation, during which the question was, among other things, whether the journalists were actually pooping in their pants or whether it was some kind of performance.
2 The Netherlands
November 2013: The Dutch singer and entertainer Gordon makes a joke at a Dutch-Chinese candidate of the talent show Holland’s Got Talent. Gordon, a member of the jury, asks the candidate, Xiao Wang, which song he is about to sing: “Number 39 with rice?” The joke, a reference to the popular Chinese takeaway restaurants in the Netherlands, leads to criticism in American and Chinese media, and then sparks a debate in the Netherlands as well, in which Gordon’s jokes are called racist and members of the Chinese community in the Netherlands demand an apology from commercial broadcaster RTL.
3 Poland
October 2016: After France withdrew the Polish delegation’s invitation to a Euronaval industry fair in Paris, Poland’s deputy defense minister claimed that Poles had taught the French how to use forks. This absurd statement caused public outrage in international media.
4 Italy
July 2003: Italian Prime Minister and (then) European Council President Silvio Berlusconi engages in a discussion with Social-Democrat Party MP Martin Schulz. As a response to critical remarks on Berlusconi’s presentation of the Italian EU-presidency by Schulz, Berlusconi replies “I know of a movie being made in Italy on concentration camps. I will recommend you for the role of kapo.” Berlusconi’s remarks lead to uproar in the EU parliament. The socialist fraction leader Enrique Baron Crespo demands apologies, which Berlusconi at first refuses. Later, he claims that his remarks were meant ironically.
5 Spain
October 2006: In August 2006, the then Spanish King Juan Carlos the 1st went to the city of Vologda, in northern Russia, on a shooting trip. There, he slaughtered a bear. In a letter published in the local press on October 17th 2006, a local hunting control official wrote an open letter to the region's governor complaining about the slaughter of the bear, named Mitrofan". The official, Sergei Starostin, said that during the "repulsive drama" the bear was plied with a mixture of honey and vodka and prodded into a field in front of the king. In the letter it can be read that "Obviously, the sadly drunken animal was an easy target."
On October 29th 2006, the Basque newspaper Deia produced a photomontage criticising the King. On November 2nd 2006, a satirical article on the same topic was published in the Basque newspapers Deia and Gara.
6 Estonia
January 2014: A significant national controversy was stirred up by a sketch from the comedy show Tujurikkuja. This piece, framed as a mock advertisement for the "Titanic" exhibition at the Maritime Museum in Tallinn, controversially drew parallels with the sinking of the MS Estonia.
7 Belgium
December 2006: Tout ça (ne nous rendra pas la Belgique) or Bye Bye Belgium, also called "The Flemish Secession Hoax," was a hoax perpetrated by the French-language Belgian public TV station RTBF on Wednesday, December 13, 2006. Regular programming on the channel La Une was interrupted for a news bulletin claiming that the Flemish parliament had issued a unilateral declaration of independence from the Kingdom of Belgium, mimicking the Belgian secession from the Netherlands some 175 years earlier. In May, 2007, general elections were held which reflected federal tensions discussed in the broadcast even more.
8 Hungary
October 2004: Socialist party MP János Zuschlag made a joke mocking Holocaust victims while talking with a party colleague prior to a press conference about a holocaust remembrance even. This happened in front of the Terror House museum dealing with Communist and Nazi terror. This caused Zuschlag to resign from his parliament seat.