Eurostat-klokkenluider Dorte Schmidt-Brown gekozen tot Europeaan van het Jaar (en)

The European Movement in Denmark has awarded the Eurostat whistleblower Dorte Schmidt-Brown European of the year.

Ms Schmidt-Brown, a former Eurostat employee, was awarded the prize for revealing financial irregularities in the statistical arm of the EU.

Her revelations were a small part of a larger scandal which saw millions of euro channelled into unofficial bank accounts as well as accounts tendered in an opaque manner.

The affair culminated in 2003 with the removal of Eurostat's leaders.

Double aim

Ms Schmidt-Brown now holds awards from both pro and anti-EU movements.

Less than two months ago she was awarded a similar prize by the Danish EU critical June Movement.

"Pro-Europeans have long been too defensive when it comes to discussing issues such as corruption and the democratic deficit, which has given the "No-side" an excuse to poison European co-operation", said Erik Boel, leader of the European Movement, according to Berlingske Tidende.

"This [the prize] is also an attempt to counter their campaign, which has unfortunately been driven with considerable success", he added.

Ms Schmidt-Brown herself does not see this as a partisan issue. She said, "Fraud might of course be a good argument for the no-side, but it was never my intention to harm EU co-operation and this is not a question of pro-et-contra".

"Fraud is something that does not respect borders at all and one must assume that people want the EU to function as well as possible, regardless of political conviction", she continued.

Ms Schmidt-Brown was sacked from her job at Eurostat but later received an apology from Administrative Reform commissioner Neil Kinnock.

She also receives an invalidity pension after suffering from psychological pressure from her former bosses.