OREANDA-NEWS. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is recognized as the Most Powerful Woman of 2019 according to Forbes magazine. The rating was published on the website of the publication on December 12.

Thus, the Chancellor topped the ranking for the ninth year in a row. The magazine notes that Merkel’s political influence may be diminishing, but she still runs the country, which is the largest member of the European Union and has the fourth fastest growing economy in the world.

“While less than 15 percent of nations are helmed by a woman, the top 4 spots on Forbes’ 2019 list of Most Powerful Women all went to female political leaders, highlighting the outsize influence they command on the world stage,” the report explains.

Next in the ranking are Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank, and Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of US House of Representatives. Forbes calls Pelosi “the highest ranking female leader in the US” and praises his courage in arguing with US President Donald Trump on a number of issues. The fourth position is gained by Ursula von der Leyen, who became the first female President of the European Commission.

The top 100 also includes American TV presenter Oprah Winfrey (20), British Queen Elizabeth II (40), Trump’s daughter Ivanka (42), Bank of Russia Chairman Elvira Nabiullina (53), as well as singers Rihanna (61), Beyonce (66) and Taylor Swift (71).

The last on the list is the youngest participant – 16-year old ecologic activist Greta Tunberg from Sweden. The day before, she became Person of the Year according to Time magazine.