According to DR Ritzau, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen ranked second in Politico's annual ranking of the most powerful people in Europe. Read more after the announcement.
One person has more influence over Europe than Mette Frederiksen
“We all live in Europe, Mette Frederiksen. But we don’t know her yet,” with these words, the international political media organization Politico chose the Danish Prime Minister as the second most influential person in Europe, according to sources.
Politico publishes this ranking every year, and by the end of 2025, Politico's assessment is that only US President Donald Trump has more influence over Europe than Mette Frederiksen.
According to sources, the media places German Chancellor Merz in third place, while French opposition politician Marine Le Pen comes in fourth.
The international impact of Mette Fredriksen's biography
Politico pays particular attention to the distinctive social democracy that Mette Frederiksen is creating an international resonance around.
Here, left-wing social welfare policy mixes with right-wing immigration and defense policy.
The role of its strict policies on immigration and asylum
Regarding immigration, where critics once described her approach as inhumane, she has proven to be particularly influential, as the media has written.
It was Mette Frederiksen who brought the idea of creating asylum and deportation centers outside Europe to the main political arena, which the European Union agreed to move forward with yesterday, Monday.
The Prime Minister's role in this affair has attracted the attention of Politico magazine, which asserted that she has inspired Britain and Italy.
Hawk of defense policy
At the same time, Mette Frederiksen is also referred to as a hawk in defense policy.
Here, Politico highlights that Mette Frederiksen, as prime minister, put Denmark at the forefront of supporters of Ukraine, while pressing the European Union to arm itself more quickly.
The conflict over Greenland also put Mette Frederiksen on the main stage.
Politico believes that its handling of Donald Trump’s attempt to claim Greenland has given it credibility in the fight for European independence that other leaders, such as French President Macron, may lack, according to sources.
A prestigious European ranking, but its popularity is low in Denmark.
Mette Frederiksen's ranking as one of the most influential people in Europe on Tuesday comes as she struggles to gain national support in her native Denmark.
On Monday, Voxmeter published a poll showing the lowest level of support for the Social Democrats since 2013.
According to the poll, only 18% voters would vote for Mette Frederiksen's party if elections were held tomorrow.
Politico also points to the party's poor performance in the November municipal elections, and the news site writes that Mette Frederiksen is sometimes criticized for being "power-hungry," according to DR, citing Ritzau.
