Russian president Vladimir Putin has ranked two spots higher than Barack Obama in a list of the world’s most powerful people, taking out number one spot for the third year in a row.
Forbes published its seventh annual ranking on Thursday, with Obama the first sitting US president to vacate the top two power rankings, beaten by Putin and Germany’s Angela Merkel.
“Putin continues to prove he’s one of the few men in the world powerful enough to do what he wants — and get away with it,” Forbes wrote.
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In recent years, the Russian leader’s popularity has soared as he invaded Georgia, helped rebels seize control of parts of Ukraine and bombed rebels in Syria. In August, his domestic approval rating soared to 87 per cent, the highest level in six years, according to an independent polling centre.
Meanwhile, Obama has been dogged by an obstructionist Congress dominated by his political foes and a lack of military success in the Middle East.
“As Obama enters the final year of his presidency, it’s clear his influence is shrinking, and it’s a bigger struggle than ever to get things done,” Forbes wrote.
“At home, his approval ratings are perpetually stuck under 50 per cent; abroad, he’s outshined by Merkel in Europe, and outmaneuvered by Putin in the Middle East.”
German chancellor Merkel jumped up three places to shunt Obama out of second spot.
“Merkel is the backbone of the 28-member European Union, and her decisive actions dealing with the Syrian refugee problem and the Greek credit crisis helped bump her up the list,” Forbes said.
The 2015 list of 73 powerbrokers ranked Pope Francis fourth, Chinese leader Xi Jinping fifth, Microsoft founder Bill Gates sixth, US Reserve Bank boss Janet Yellen seventh, British PM David Cameron eighth, Indian PM Narendra Modi ninth and Google boss Larry Page 10th.
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—with AAP.
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