European of the year

Various institutions and companies choose "their" European of the year.

Reader's Digest Award Winners

Since 1996, the editors-in-chief of the European editions of Reader's Digest have voted European of the year people who best represent European traditions and values.

1996: Father Imre Kozma , President of the Hungarian Maltese Caritas Service.
1997: Frederic Hauge , Norwegian founder of the Bellona environmental protection group .
1998: British solo skipper Pete Goss , who rescued his French friend Raphael Dinelli from distress during a competition.
1999: Inge Genefke from Denmark , a pioneer in the field of treatment and rehabilitation of victims of torture.
2000: The Dutchman Paul van Buitenen , who uncovered serious mismanagement within the European Commission.
2001: Born in Finland, Linus Benedict Torvalds , inventor of the Linux operating system.
2002: Eva Joly , former investigating judge in France (including the Tapie case , the corruption scandal surrounding Elf Aquitaine ).
2003: Šimon Pánek , founder of the Czech aid organization People in Need .
2004: Peter Eigen from Germany, founder and chairman of Transparency International .
2005: The Russian doctor Leonid Roshal , who was used as an intermediary between terrorists and rescue organizations in the Beslan hostage drama .
2006: Ayaan Hirsi Ali from the Netherlands , who campaigns against religious fanatics and for the rights of Muslim women.
2007: The Swiss infectious disease professor Ruedi Lüthy for his tireless efforts for AIDS sufferers and others. a. in Zimbabwe .
2008: Maria Nowak from France, who helps people in need around the world to have a decent existence with small loans.
2009: The German extreme athlete Joachim Franz for his many years of worldwide efforts against the immune deficiency disease AIDS .
2010: Iana Matei for her commitment against forced prostitution and human trafficking in her home country Romania .
2011: Doctor Monika Hauser for her worldwide commitment to victims of sexual violence in war zones.
2012: Isabel Jonet from Portugal
2013: Agnieszka Romaszewska from Poland
2014: The Swiss entrepreneur and politician Thomas Minder for his fight against “rip-offs” in the boardrooms.
2015: Felix Finkbeiner (* 1997), founder of the international children and youth initiative Plant-for-the-Planet for his commitment to climate justice.
2016: Laura Codruța Kövesi , head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania
2017: Boyan Slat , founder of The Ocean Cleanup
2018: Edit Schlaffer , founder and president of Women without Borders ( Women without Borders )
2019: Óscar Camps , sea rescuer and founder of Proactiva Open Arms
2020: Selina Juul , Founder and Head of Stop Spild Af Mad (Stop Food Waste)

The winners of the European Voice

European Voice (until April 2015, since then Politico in Europe ) is a Brussels weekly newspaper. The nomination committee for this “European of the Year” election includes the editors-in-chief of The Economist and European Voice. The election is public and takes place over the Internet.