“Venstre’s (Left, Denmark’s liberal party) candidate receives controversial prize, causing confusion about its origin. Alexandra Sasha, Venstre’s candidate for the European Parliament election in Funen, has sparked debate after receiving an award whose origin has turned out to be less prestigious than initially thought. On social media, Sasha boasted of receiving a prize from the British upper house, which she referred to as the ‘House of Lord Award.’ However, a closer investigation revealed that the prize is actually an Indian business award presented by the Indo European Business Forum (IEBF). IEBF is an organization working to promote trade cooperation between India and EU countries. The award ceremony took place in the British upper house in connection with a global networking meeting called ‘Unicorns and Sustainable Development.’ Yet, Sasha fails to mention IEBF, India, or the networking meeting in her social media posts, where she mistakenly claims that the prize was issued by the British Parliament. On LinkedIn, Sasha states in the awards and honors section that the prize was issued by the British Parliament, which is also incorrect. According to an Indian media outlet, Sasha received the award for ‘Entrepreneurship through technology and education’ and ‘for her work in sustainability and partnerships between Europe and India.’ During the award ceremony, Sasha expressed pride in the collaboration between Denmark and India in areas such as renewable energy, offshore wind, food processing, and water. She highlights the green strategic partnership the two countries have formed. Apart from Alexandra Sasha and another recipient, all other award winners were from India. B.T. (Danish tabloid newspaper) has attempted to get an explanation from Sasha and Venstre as to why she refers to the prize as the ‘House of Lord Award’ and claims it was given by the British upper house when it is evidently an award from IEBF. However, they have not responded to inquiries before the deadline. This is not the first time Alexandra Sasha has been in the media spotlight. Previously, B.T. has revealed her participation in pro-Russian meetings organized by an FSB agent (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation).”

Read the danish version here