World Leadership Flashcards
Who is the President of the People’s Republic of China?
Xi Jinping
On 15 November 2012, Xi Jinping, the general secretary of China’s Communist Party, has been labeled by many the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. Considering the domestic grip he’s secured in just three years since becoming president of the world’s largest country — nearly 1.4 billion people — it’s hard to argue. Xi holds at least 10 titles governing the world superpower (some of which he created), overseeing everything from the military and the internet to the economy.
That economy has stalled, and the nation’s stock market endured a tumultuous summer requiring a bailout that may have topped $200 billion. Still, China’s growth in recent years puts it in elite company, and by one measure its economy even eclipses that of the US, according to the IMF.
Xi has fulfilled a vow to wage an extensive and controversial anticorruption campaign within the country. He has investigated hundreds of thousands of people and locked away some high-ranking party officials for life — his former political enemies among them.
Who is Israeli prime minister?
Benjamin Netanyahu
Reelected as the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu recently compared the Middle East to “Game of Thrones.” It isn’t a game he’s always played well — disputes over the Iran deal and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have left US-Israeli relations at a crisis point. But Israel has remained relatively stable during a time of turmoil throughout the Middle East, and Netanyahu has dominated his country’s politics like few Israeli leaders.
Overall, many say that Netanyahu has done a good job of boosting Israel’s economy and putting the country at the forefront of technological and medical advances. Even so, the fallout over the Iran nuclear deal, and his strained relations with Washington, don’t bode well for his legacy.
*Who is president of South Korea?
President Moon Jae-in
born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean politician and the current President of South Korea.[1][2][3][4][5] Moon was elected after the impeachment of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye in the 2017 South Korean presidential election.
A former student activist, human rights lawyer, and chief presidential secretary to then-President Roh Moo-hyun,[6] Moon once served as leader of Minjoo Party of Korea (2015–2016) and a member of the 19th National Assembly (2012–2016). He was also a candidate of the former Democratic United Party in the 2012 presidential election in which he lost narrowly to Park Geun-hye.
Who is the Supreme Leader of Iran?
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been the ultimate authority in Iran since 1989, is openly opposed to Western influence in both his country and the broader Middle East. A hardliner even within Iran’s clerical regime, Khamenei has long championed the slogan “Death to America,” and he has sought to position Tehran as both a geopolitical and ideological enemy of the US and Israel.
After more than 18 months of negotiations, Khamenei conditionally agreed to a landmark nuclear deal reached with six world powers this past July. The deal outlines Iran’s promise to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the US and its partners lifting economic sanctions. The agreement is set to open Iran’s economy to outside investment and has generally raised the prestige of Khamenei’s government, which is quickly shaking its status as one of the world’s pariah states.
Who is the King of Saudi Arabia?
King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud
founding monarch reportedly support a coup to oust King Salman and replace him with his younger brother, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, a sign tensions are at a high within the royal family.
But as the leader of Saudi Arabia, King Salman wields incredible influence over the Middle East and his country’s massive oil reserves. Even with oil at historically low prices, Saudi Arabia — the world’s largest oil exporter — continues to ramp up production to depress prices and protect its global market share, despite the negative effect it has on the global oil economy.
Who is the President of Brazil?
Michel Temer
Brazilian lawyer and politician who is the 37th and current President of Brazil. He took office on 31 August 2016, after the impeachment and removal of his predecessor Dilma Rousseff, having served as Vice President since 2011 and as Acting President since 12 May 2016, when Rousseff was suspended from her presidential powers and duties while she faced impeachment trial.[1] At 75 years, he is the oldest person to assume the office.
On 31 August 2016, the Senate voted 61–20 to convict the impeached President Dilma Rousseff and remove her from office, allowing a political shift from a center-left to a center-right government. Temer succeeded to the presidency, to serve out what would have been the remainder of Rousseff’s second term until 1 January 2019. In his first speech in office, Temer called for a government of “national salvation” and asked for the trust of the Brazilian people.[2] He also signaled his intention to overhaul the pension system and labor laws, and curb public spending
Who is the Prime minister of Japan?
Shinzo Abe
into his second term as prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe continues to craft bold plans for his country’s future. At the forefront is a desire to bring the excitement and innovation of Silicon Valley to Japan to jump-start the country’s fading tech sector. In a recent visit to the US, Abe met with tech titans like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to learn “how we can take Silicon Valley’s ways and make them work in Japan.” This plan comes on top of “Abenomics,” the three-pronged approach the prime minister implemented to boost Japan’s economy upon starting his second term in 2012.
On the same visit to the US in April, Abe also became the first Japanese prime minister to address a joint session of US Congress, which he used to push forward talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that would bring together nations including Australia, the US, Japan, Mexico, and Vietnam.
Who is the President of France?
Emmanuel Macron
born 21 December 1977) is a French politician serving as President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Before entering politics, he was a senior civil servant and investment banker. Macron studied philosophy at Paris Nanterre University, completed a Master’s of Public Affairs at Sciences Po, and graduated from the École nationale d’administration (ÉNA) in 2004. He worked at the Inspectorate General of Finances, and later became an investment banker at Rothschild & Cie Banque.[1]
Macron was appointed Deputy Secretary General in François Hollande’s first government in May 2012, having been a member of the Socialist Party from 2006 to 2009. He was appointed Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs in 2014 under the Second Valls government, where he pushed through business-friendly reforms. He resigned in August 2016 to launch a bid in the 2017 presidential election. In November 2016, Macron declared that he would run in the election under the banner of En Marche!, a centrist political movement he founded in April 2016, and won the election on 7 May 2017.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Macron, at the age of 39, became the youngest President in the history of France.[8][9][10][11] Upon his inauguration, Macron appointed Le Havre Mayor Édouard Philippe to be Prime Minister. In the June 2017 legislative elections, Macron’s party, renamed “La République En Marche!”, together with its ally the Democratic Movement (MoDem), secured a comfortable majority in the National Assembly, winning 350 seats out of 577, with his party alone winning an outright majority of 308 seats.
Who is UK prime minister?
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2016. She has been the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead since 1997. She has been Leader of the Conservative Party since 2016.
Who is Indian prime minister?
Narendra Modi
rime minister of India, Narendra Modi is introducing initiatives to improve the lives of the 1.2 billion people who make up the world’s largest democracy. In May, he announced plans to reform and modernize the government and business sectors by implementing a uniform sales tax and boosting foreign direct investment to India.
Modi, the second-most-followed political leader on Twitter behind Barack Obama, is also pushing India to integrate with the digital world. He believes tech innovation holds the key to lifting India out of poverty, and he traveled to Silicon Valley in September seeking advice and help from tech executives at companies like Google and Facebook.
Who is the Pope?
Pope Francis
The leader of the Catholic faith, which has more than 1 billion followers worldwide, has staked more outspoken, progressive views on public issues than popes before him. At an address to the US Congress in September, Pope Francis called on lawmakers to empathize with immigrants and refugees and to welcome them into their country.
To the delight of liberal Catholics, he urged more action to stop the effects of climate change and endorsed a more forgiving stance on divorce and homosexuality. Many American Catholics predict that within the next 35 years the church will approve of contraception, married priests, and recognition of same-sex marriages, according to a recent Pew survey.
Who is Chancellor of Germany?
Angela Merkel
three terms in office under her belt, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a strong and indispensable leader in Europe. She has faced a host of challenges throughout her tenure and come out on top: She helped hold the eurozone together during the financial collapse and global recession; she has stood up to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his aggression toward Ukraine, and, currently, she’s managing Europe’s refugee crisis. At her hand, Germany stands above the rest of Europe with a strong economy and low unemployment rate. Though she’s not universally liked, Merkel has proved a stabilizing force amid turmoil.
Who is the Russian president?
Vladimir Putin
Approval ratings for Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president and former prime minister, reached an all-time high in October 15: 89.9%. After seizing Crimea last year in the wake of the Ukrainian Revolution, Putin is determined to resurrect Russia as a superpower. In the past year, he’s supported a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine and launched a military operation in support of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. Unlike with most Western heads of state, Putin’s control over Russia is subject to few constitutional checks and balances.
At the annual UN meeting in late September, Putin criticized Obama, asserting that US interventions have backfired in the Middle East, creating a haven for extremists and terrorists. Shortly after, Putin launched the Russian air campaign to target Islamic forces in Syria and weaken rebellion against the country’s president. The airstrikes are costing Russia an estimated $2.5 million a day, and are quickly escalating tensions with Western powers
Who is the Prime Minister of Canada?
Justin Trudeau
Canadian politician. He is the 23rd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party.[1][2] The second youngest prime minister after Joe Clark, he is also, as the eldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the first to be related to a previous holder of the post.
Who is President of Mexico?
Enrique Peña Nieto
born 20 July 1966),[1] sometimes referred to by his initials EPN,[2] is a Mexican politician who serves as the 57th and current President of Mexico. Educated as a lawyer, Peña Nieto had served as Secretary of Administration for the State of Mexico from 2000–02, as Representative of the 13th District of the State of Mexico from 2003–04, and as Governor of the state from 2005-11 prior to becoming President.
elected President on July 1, 2012, winning 39% of the vote and returning the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) to power after a twelve-year hiatus.[4] The PRI had governed Mexico uninterrupted for 71 years until it was defeated by the National Action Party (PAN) in 2000.
