Sanae Takaichi Ranked 3rd in Forbes’ World’s Most Powerful Women

The Japan News

10:00 JST, December 11, 2025

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was ranked third in the world’s most powerful women, Forbes said on Wednesday.

In the list published on its website, Ursula von der Leyen, president of European Commission was ranked first and Christine Lagarde, president of European Central Bank, was second.

Forbes describes Japan’s first female prime minister as “a hardline conservative who has often invoked ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher, a fellow female first prime minister, as a political role model.”