Merkel overtakes Rice as world's most powerful woman

[tocqueville]

Forbes Thu Aug 31, 6:38 PM ET

NEW YORK (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has overtaken US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as the world's most powerful woman, according to a Forbes Magazine list.

This time last year, Germany's first female chancellor was riding high in opinion polls as leader of the then-opposition conservative Christian Union but did not even feature in the ranks of Forbes's top 100 most powerful women.

And besides Chinese Vice President Wu Yi, who slid one place this year to number three, the rest of the top 10 are business executives, topped by the chief executive-designate of PepsiCo, Indian-born and educated Indra Nooyi.

The magazine's third annual list sees talkshow host Oprah Winfrey dropping to 14th place and New York Senator Hillary Clinton rising from 26 to 18 as her expected campaign for the US presidency in 2008 gathers pace.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060831/en_afp/uspoliticsmediawomen_060831223858

complete list here

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/11/06women_The-100-Most-Powerful-Women_Rank.html

glad to see that Anne Lauvergeon Chairman, Areva (nuclear technologies) (France) is nr 8.

[tanyev]

1. See what a little neck rub from the Deciderator can do for ya?

[stepnw1f]

2. Rice's Power Was Only a Perception of Power

she is and was nothing but a minion to power.

[jaysunb]

3. Who decides this stuff ??

Sounds like more bullshit to me......

[FoxOnTheRun]

4. I agree

they should do some kind of mud-wrestling or arm wrestling:freak: to determine that.

honestly it's nonsense

[tocqueville]

6. catfight between Hillary and Condi ?

I'd pay to see that, even if Condi might win despite a bigger gap between her front teeth afterwards...

[tocqueville]

5. that's how it's done

Our power rankings are based on a composite of visibility (measured by press citations) and economic impact. The latter, in turn, reflects three things: résumé (a prime minister is more powerful than a senator); the size of the economic sphere over which a leader holds sway; and a multiplier that aims to make different financial yardsticks comparable. For example, a politician is assigned a gross domestic product number but gets a low multiplier, while a foundation executive is assigned the foundation's assets but gets a high multiplier.

but I think there must be bugs in the system : should Michele Alliot Marie, France's Defense Minister have less power than Oprah, when she is in charge of 6 nuclear submarines armed each with 24 350kt MIRVs ? Of course Michele doesn't have the power to push the button (Chirac has) but she'll have to implement it, if Chirac gives the order. ANd Oprah can jump on her couch, that won't help.

[jaysunb]

8. Ok, if you say so, but

my wife is pretty powerful too.

She just told me to "get off my ass and get the grill going, " so you'd better get her on that list too. :evilgrin:

[nancyr]

7. Rice? haha

Who ever decreed that she was the most powerful???? Only in her head and the heads of the criminals she's in cohoots with.