The most influential person in Europe is U.S. President Donald Trump, Brussels-based Politico reported today.
On the list of the 28 most influential figures in Europe, the American president took first place because, as the explanation states, “no one has had a greater impact in or on Europe this year than Trump.”
“Attempting to describe Europe’s relationship with Donald Trump has become a constant diplomatic exercise. Is he a partner? Occasionally. A threat? Sometimes. A force that reshapes relations on his own terms? Always. What is clear is that Europe is dealing with an unpredictable, dominant partner whose impulses can overnight upend the continent,” the Brussels portal stated.
Second on the list is the Danish Prime Minister, described as a northern star, once seen as a leftist idealist but now considered one of the continent’s most pragmatic leaders.
“Over the past six years, the 48-year-old Danish Prime Minister has quietly exported her brand of hardline social democracy across the continent—a mix of leftist social policies and right-leaning firmness on migration and defense—while overturning her country’s historic Euroskepticism. The influence of her ideas—strict borders, strategic autonomy, and a more independent Europe—will likely outlast her tenure,” Politico notes.
Third in influence is German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, dubbed an “unwilling radical,” described as a man breaking postwar German taboos, with allies calling him risk-prone.
Merz has demonstrated his strength in Brussels, where Germany’s word still carries decisive weight, drawing clear red lines against EU Commission efforts to expand the long-term budget, positioning himself as a guardian of fiscal and institutional discipline.
“The German Chancellor has become central in EU debates on how far—and how fast—the bloc should pursue defense integration, bureaucracy reduction, and fiscal discipline. But his ability to lead abroad depends on results at home: He can credibly shape Europe’s future only if he restores trust in Germany’s economic engine—sometimes meaning restraint of Brussels as much as pushing it forward,” the portal said.
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Fourth is French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen, described as a “warhorse,” who, while awaiting an appellate court ruling on her ban from public office, has made it clear she cannot be ignored and is pressuring her main rival, Emmanuel Macron, to dissolve the National Assembly and call early elections.
“Le Pen has made it clear she will use all means to fight her electoral ban and will surely turn the legal drama into political theater—portraying herself as a people’s champion and a victim of the establishment,” the portal stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, labeled a “provocateur” by the portal, ranks fifth. Politico explains that the 73-year-old Russian shapes Europe from its edges, “one act of aggression at a time,” testing NATO defenses with hybrid attacks, drone incursions, and conventional aircraft.
Concerns over Russian aggression have forced Europe to arm itself, with even military powers like France and the UK re-evaluating billions of euros in industrial and defense investments, recognizing that fighter jets and nuclear arsenals are ill-suited to counter low-level asymmetric and hybrid warfare from Moscow.
“The question for NATO and the EU is: Will Putin’s pressure ultimately strengthen these alliances? Or will the Russian president succeed in undermining the foundations they are built on? In any case, Putin has already achieved part of his goal: he has thrown Europe off balance and made it clear he is the one person on the continent who cannot be ignored,” the portal stated.
Other influential figures on the list include Briton Nigel Farage, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (7th place), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, EPP President Manfred Weber, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, economist Gabriel Zakman, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaya Kallas, European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribeiro, Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek, French President Emmanuel Macron, banker and politician Mario Draghi, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexis Grinchevich, Polish right-winger Karol Nawrocki, German MP Heidi Reichnek, UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel, French politician Rima Hassan, Dutch liberal Rob Jetten, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The list was compiled based on months of reporting and the expertise of Politico journalists across Europe. Candidate lists were drafted, refined, and tested in Brussels and national newsrooms, comparing individuals based on their ability to shape decisions in the coming year, not just their public profile.
The list also includes 10 people to watch—rising figures who have not yet gained real power but are already challenging the existing order.
“Ranking the most powerful people in Europe is never an easy task. Even in peaceful periods, authority and influence circulate among shifting alliances and institutions. This year, many long-standing centers of power in Europe have simply lost control.
If power is the ability to make things happen or prevent them from happening, then wealth, popularity, and formal authority matter. Yet equally important are political courage, clarity of vision, willingness to challenge conventions, and the ability to inspire others. And in today’s Europe, these ingredients are in short supply,” Politico concluded.
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Source: uronews, Foto: EPA-EFE / SHAWN THEW