Cowen 'One Of World's Top Leaders'

Influential website, Newsweek, have identified the Irish Taoiseach as one of the top ten world leaders.

Despite spending his tenure in two of the worst years in Ireland's recent economic history, the column, written by William Underhill has praised Brian Cowen for prescribing "harsh medcine".

The top 10 list contains some of the most influential world leaders including the Chinese 'Uncle' Wen Jiabao, who wept openly in public after speaking with survivors of the massive 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and Liberia's president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – the "rebuilder" who has taken a worn torn country and boosted school enrollment by 40%, restored power and running water to urban centres, and turned its timber and diamond industries into thriving trades.

Referring to Brian Cowen as the "Fiscal Taskmaster", the article says that despite Ireland's once-roaring economy collapsing to a situation with unemployment at 13%, rising emigration and money markets ranking not far behind Greece on the list of Europe's big-time losers, Prime Minister Brian Cowen and his "able" Finance Minister, Brian Lenihan, are "prescribing harsh medicine".

"They've pushed through austerity packages drastic enough to win the admiration of the international community, raised taxes, and slashed some public salaries by more than 10 percent. But the Irish aren't showing much gratitude," the article stated.

The piece contends that despite Cowen's difficult work, his ratings have plunged to a mere 18%, and his Fianna Fail party can expect a drubbing in the 2012 national elections.

"Still, there's some hope that his government's unpopular measures will be rewarded in the long run: surveys suggest that Irish consumer confidence is on the rise again, and the economy notched up modest growth in the first quarter of 2010."

Those notable by their absence from the list include the German Chancellor Angella Merkel and American President Barack Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

(DW/BMcC)