Forbes magazine today named German Chancellor Angela Merkel the world's most powerful woman, calling her the 'undisputed' leader of the European Union and head of its only 'real global economy'.
Merkel, who has topped the list of the world's 100 most powerful women in all but one of the years since she became chancellor in November 2005, beat US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and, in third place, Dilma Rousseff, who became Brazil's first woman president this year.
'German Chancellor Angela Merkel is head of the one real global economy in Europe and is the 'undisputed' leader of the EU,' Forbes said.
'Although overseeing a booming economy and falling unemployment, she contends with a weakening support base and crisis in the euro zone, where Germany is often in the unenviable position of bailing out its weaker neighbours,' the magazine said.
'She is out to stabilise EU debt and keep the 17-member euro zone unified,' it added.
It was Merkel's fifth time at the top of the list. The 57-year-old politician led it from 2006 to 2009 but then was bumped back to 4th place last year by US first lady Michelle Obama, Kraft Foods chief executive Irene Rosenfeld, and chat-show host Oprah Winfrey.
After Rousseff was Indra Nooyi, the India-born, naturalised US chief executive of Pepsi; Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg; philanthropist Melinda Gates, India President Sonia Gandhi, Michelle Obama, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, and Rosenfeld.
The list was heavily tilted toward Americans, 65 of the 100 places. Australia, China, India and Britain each had three.
