Finnish MEP Piia-Noora Kauppi (Nat. Coalition Party), who will leave the European Parliament at the end of the year, has been declared the winner of the Worst Conflict of Interest Award 2008 accolade, as posted on the website dedicated to the “Worst EU Lobbying Awards”.
According to the organisation handing out the awards, Kauppi has “abused her role as an MEP by promoting the interests of her future employer”.
When she leaves the European Parliament, Kauppi will go to work for the Federation of Finnish Financial Services.
Kauppi does not think that she deserves the dubious honour.
“There is no conflict of interest. I have always been completely open about my appointment. Perhaps it is my openness which makes me an easy target for this kind of thing”, Kauppi said on Tuesday.
Kauppi got 26 per cent of the votes in her series. More than 8,500 people took part in the online vote.
