The president of a country holds a lot of power in his/her hands. They become popular not only in their country but all around the globe. There are instances when an individual uses a means other than a democratic election to become the president. Presidents represent the country they are governing; it makes them very important persons. However, in some countries, Prime Ministers are more influential than the presidents, so we will also include some Prime Ministers in the list based on their popularity. We have listed the top 10 popular presidents in the world. Can you guess who is number one?
10. Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari is the president and Commander in Chief of Nigeria. He ran for the presidency in 2003, 2007, and 2011. His losing streak finally broke in 2015, and he became the president, defeating Goodluck Jonathan. He has undoubtedly surpassed Goodluck Jonathan in terms of popularity. He is popularly known for leading a coup; he was a military leader at that time, and he managed to serve as the Head of Nigeria for 21 months. His name is also coming up because of the #EndSARS protests. A peaceful protest turned violent when protesters were brutally beaten. Many celebrities showed their sorrow and support to the protesters.
9. Hassan Rouhani
Hassan Rouhani is the president of Iran; he has been in power since 2013. Hassan Rouhani has always shown his support for the religious and ethnic minorities of Iran. Time magazine names him as one of the 100 most influential leaders worldwide. Hassan Rouhani played a significant role in putting Iran back on the map, and he improved the international diplomatic rights. Hassan Rouhani has enhanced women’s rights and appointed a female foreign ministry spokesperson; Hassan Rouhani is also known for his encouragement to free access to information and personal freedom.
8. Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong Un had many titles such as The Marshal, the Supreme Commander of the Armed forces, Supreme leader of the People’s Republic of Korea. Kim Jong Un came in power in 2011 after burying his father. Kim Jong Un is famous as a person with no fear, and he gained a lot of popularity because of multiple conflicting dialogues with the US president. When the movie, The Interview was scheduled to release, Sony’s computer system was hacked, and the hackers threatened to erase Sony’s computer infrastructure. The Interview is a humorous representation of the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The US alleged that the cyber attack was from North Korea.
7. Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte is the Netherlands’ prime minister, leader of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy. Mark Rutte won the elections with a very high margin as he was very popular among the citizens. He is popularly known for his simplicity, he is the Prime Minister, but he prefers riding a bicycle to work. He teaches a two-hour class at Johan de Witt College. Australia has honored Mark Rutte for maintaining a bilateral relationship with Australia. Belgium has also honored him as Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown.
6. Rodrigo Duterte
The President of the Philippines is one of the most influential figures in Asia. He promised to take care of the problems related to drug dealers and criminals, and he defeated his rival by a whopping 6.6 million votes in the 2016 elections. He is known for his views on foreign policy; he sought to create distance from the European Union and create stronger bonds with Russia and China. He is called “savior” and “protector” in his hometown. He has been called a “man of the people” several times.
5. Jacinda Ardern
Ardern was placed at the 38th position among the 100 most powerful women in the world by Forbes magazine in 2019. She is so one of the fifteen women selected to appear in September 2019 British Vogue’s cover. She was shortlisted in 2019 for Time’s Person of the Year and was included in the Time 100 list of 2019. The magazine also predicted that Ardern might win Nobel Peace Prize; though it didn’t happen, it proves her worth and popularity. She has been listed as the second greatest thinker, acknowledging her methods to contain the virus.
4. Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi is India’s Prime Minister, and he holds the position of second most popular leader on Facebook. Narendra Modi began his political journey with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS. The approval rate of Narendra Modi increased from 62% to 68% in April 2020. He was praised worldwide for his decision to impose a 21 days nationwide lockdown. Narendra Modi landed in the fifth spot on Fortune Magazine’s list of “World’s Greatest Leaders.” A biopic of Narendra Modi was released in 2019, starring Vivek Oberoi as Narendra Modi.
3. Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping is the Head of the State, China’s paramount leader, Central Military Commission, and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China. He is an anti-corruption leader and is known for firing corrupt officials like General Xu Caihou. The popularity of Xi Jinping has increased even more recently. Since the spread of COVID-19, Donal Trump has been addressing the virus as “A Chinese virus” and stamping it as a virus originating from China. Xi Jinping has received honors from various countries, including Belgium, Venezuelan, Cuba, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, etc.
2. Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin is the president of Russia. He had an approval rating of 81% in 2007, making him the highest-rated leader of that year. Vladimir Putin was the “Time Person of the year” in 2007 and number one on time’s Most Influential People. According to Forbes, he was the world’s most influential person from 2013 to 2016. In 2018, Forbes ranked him the second most powerful individual in 2018.
1. Donald Trump
Donald Trump is the president of the United States. Besides being the president of one of the most powerful countries, being a person who speaks his heart is another reason for his popularity. In 2016 Donald Trump was honored as Person of the Year by Time. In the same year, Donald Trump was named the person of the year by Financial Times, and Forbes ranked him as the second most powerful person in the world.
A president Plays a vital role in the development and growth of a country. A good leader should have the quality to make correct decisions under pressure, handle threats, and do whatever is required to protect the country.
