Ursula von der Leyen
Awards & Honours
11
Awards Won
6
Honours
14
Rankings
7
Covers
3
Records
Ursula von der Leyen holds a remarkable set of firsts and records. She was the first woman to serve as German Defence Minister and the first woman to become President of the European Commission. Forbes has ranked her the world's most powerful woman for four consecutive years, a feat no one else has achieved. She has been named to TIME's 100 Most Influential People list five times. Her leadership during the COVID-19 crisis, including the creation of the €750 billion NextGenerationEU fund, was widely seen as a defining moment for European solidarity. She also holds the Guinness World Record for first female European Commission President.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Germany's highest civilian honour
Honorary Doctorate
Honorary doctorate in medicine
Honorary Doctorate
Honorary doctorate
Honorary Doctorate
Honorary doctorate
Honorary Doctorate
Honorary doctorate
Guinness World Record
First woman to serve as President of the European Commission
Rankings & Lists
World's 100 Most Powerful Women
World's 100 Most Powerful Women
World's 100 Most Powerful Women
World's 100 Most Powerful Women
World's 100 Most Powerful Women
World's 100 Most Powerful Women
100 Most Influential People
100 Most Influential People
100 Most Influential People
100 Most Influential People
100 Most Influential People
Person of the Year
Power 28
Power 50
Magazine Covers
TIME
March 30, 2020
Ursula von der Leyen: The Woman Leading Europe Through Crisis
Forbes
December 2022
The World's Most Powerful Woman
Forbes
December 2023
The Most Powerful Woman in the World
Forbes
December 2024
The Most Powerful Woman in the World (Fourth Consecutive Year)
Politico Europe
December 2019
The New Face of Europe
Der Spiegel
July 2019
Die Neue
Financial Times
December 2020
Person of the Year: Ursula von der Leyen
Records & Feats
First woman to serve as President of the European Commission
Elected in 2019, she became the first female head of the EU's executive branch.
First woman to serve as German Federal Minister of Defence
Appointed in 2013, she was the first woman to hold the defence portfolio in Germany.
First person to top Forbes Most Powerful Women list for four consecutive years
Ranked #1 in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, a record for the list.