Angela Merkel Retakes Top Spot From Michelle Obama on Forbes Power List

By Nicola Menzie, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, August 25, 2011

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has regained the number one spot on Forbes magazine's annual list of the "World's Most Powerful Women," beating out Hillary Clinton and retaking the leading spot from U.S. first lady Michelle Obama.

Merkel reigned atop the Forbes list for four years running until Mrs. Obama bumped her down on the 2010 list. According to Forbes' methodology, the first lady is the eighth most powerful woman in the world this time.

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel is head of the one real global economy in Europe and is the 'undisputed' leader of the EU," according to Forbes.

Merkel, Germany’s first female chancellor, is also the sixth most powerful person in the world, according to Forbes, ranking just below Pope Benedict XVI and ahead of British Prime Minister David Cameron.

The German chancellor is leader of her political party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and is also the daughter of a Lutheran pastor.

To arrive at its list, Forbes reviewed nearly 200 candidates from around the world, cutting the list down to the 100 most influential women from various sectors.

The top 10 entrants on Forbes' "World's Most Powerful Women" list (including occupation, age, country, and sector) are:

Angela Merkel, Chancellor, 57, Germany, Politics
Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, 63, United States, Politics
Dilma Rousseff, President, 63, Brazil, Politics
Indra Nooyi, Chief Executive, PepsiCo, 55, United States, Business
Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook, 41, United States, Business
Melinda Gates, Cofounder, Cochair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 47, United States, Non-Profit
Sonia Gandhi, President, Indian National Congress Party, 64, India, Politics
Michelle Obama, First Lady, 47, United States, Politics
Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, 55, France, Non-Profit
Irene Rosenfeld, CEO, Kraft Foods, 58, United States, Business