Women in the world's spotlight 2012 (12)

Angela Merkel is the Chancellor of Germany and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).Merkel is the first woman to have become German chancellor. Merkel is seen as playing a crucial role in managing the financial crisis at the European and international level, and has been referred to as "the decider." In domestic policy, health care reform and problems concerning future energy development have been major issues of her tenure. Merkel has been described as "the de facto leader of the European Union" and is currently ranked as the world's second most powerful person by the Forbes magazine, the highest ranking ever achieved by a woman.(Globaltimes.cn)