Vladimir Putin as a world leader? He was ex-KGB = Gestapo under the Nazi regime. Russia is total dictatorship, not a free democratic country. Obama has been pumped up by the liberal media around the world. He is full of hot air and has cero experience to lead a country. He also only won by a few percentage points. The media was distorting the true information about him and americans were not given the facts. Now, they all come out and how he associates with radicals and terrorists. Angela Merkel showed true leadership when she was made president of the European Union.

i thing it's angela merkel

the more powerful among the politicians mentioned above is vladimir putin as his views are moderate and realistic.

i think 1st Obama 2nd Angela 3rd Sarkozy

Well, i will say that every body is influencial in what ever position he/she is, but what determines it, is the extent of inprovement and hard working. Obama for example he dreamt it and at the of th day it came true, so i will say that Obama who works toward his dream is the most powerful and influencial person.

President Barack Obama takes the stage.

I do not believe that Barrack Obama deserves to be listed among the most powerful men and women in the world. He came out of nowhere so to speak as few had even heard of him before he ran for president. his ideas are the same flawed socialist ideas that have failed so many times before and the current stimulus package he is pushing for does little to actuallly strengthen the US economy but rewards some if not all of those organizations that got him elected. furthermore the democrats have helped to ruin America as they have never met a tax they didn't like as long as they don't have to pay it.

i'm shocked to see the pope listed with men and women who actually work to do good and be good. that man has done nothing for world health, or history. my vote: remove him as an anachronism from a bygone sense of sociopolitical need. he will forever represent the most destructive force in history- the death toll for gold will never be atoned for, or the loss of world culture (the burning of books); nor the death toll over hiv, the role of the church in WW2, re: the jewish death toll; the disinformation campaign in education, the blatant control of women by men, or the role of the church with islamic peace. totally untrustworthy. that he's trying to pull the carpet once again with a bishop who denied the holocaust, is proof, once again, of the church's psychotic behavior pattern.

I am proud to see that Americans have finally opted for positive change. Unfortunately, it is eight years, thousands of deaths and 2 Supreme Court Justices too late. Have we finally seen the light? It is also gratifying to see Benedict XVI's standing: low & declining. Perhaps we have all grown up, globally, to recognize false leadership.

Looks like Barack has the world's attention' hopefully they'll receive his ideas warmly to help us all. Business got us into this mess!!!!

Vladimir Putin is definitely the most influential world leader right now but let us not forget the President of Iran! Both men have power no other leader wields today. These two men can make others quake by one decision - something no other world leader is able to effect.

Vladimir Putin didn't make the list? Merkel is more powerful than Mugabe? And Hu Jintao: the leader of China is less important than every last one of these other guys? I can see that they would be less admired, but was that the only question?

Obama seems to be best placed as the new man of the moment. If Sarkozy is really supporting Tony Blair for President of Europe, then I do not think much of his judgement. I have never been a fan of TB, even in the early days. "Things can only get better" was his theme song for that first election. But they didnt, did they? And now the middle east is on fire again. Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan - there does not seem to be any end to the carnage.

Pope benedict XVI

Mr Putin is N°1. He is not a romantic type of guy. I visited Russia 11 times, since 1997. I am a decent witness of what happened there and what did Mr Putin to put his country back on track. He is a proud russian, not a prostitute of big business like so many politicians are. Exemple: the worse of all; that machiavelic comedian, arrogant,arrivist cynic, imbued of himself like no other french head of state has ever been: Nicolas Sarkozy !