The world's No. 1 Most Powerful Woman for the second year in a row, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the "Iron Lady" of the European Union and the lead player in the euro zone economic drama that continues to threaten global markets. As Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal have teetered on the brink of economic collapse, she has vowed to do everything in her power to preserve the 17-country EU. Merkel also called on international leaders to renew the Kyoto Agreement, a commitment to reduce greenhouse gases that she helped ratify as Germany's environmental minister in the 1990s. She has been chancellor since 2005, and her recent public approval ratings soared to near 70%—a good sign leading into the general election in the fall of 2013. Merkel is embracing the Internet and last fall launched a YouTube channel, Die Bundesregierung, where the chancellor directly answers citizens' questions.
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