Number one for Mutti
Photo: ANP
As part of our review of 2009, the Euranet team has spent much time deliberating on who could be our European Personality of the Year - and like most things in the EU, it was not easy to get an agreement. But after hours of discussion, here's our Top 10 list of prominent people we've had the pleasure to follow in 2009.
It's been an amazing year for the woman affectionately known in her home country as Mutti, or "mum".
After a tough election campaign, where a few eyebrows were raised by her low-cut top that showed off ample cleavage, Angela Merkel was voted in for a second term as Chancellor.
Merkel wins personality of the year
Another factor that helped make her our favourite was her handling of the financial crisis. In the third quarter, Germany along with France emerged from recession.
This year, Ms Merkel achieved another milestone when she became only the second German Chancellor to ever address the US congress.
Most commentators agree that her re-election as German Chancellor solidified her position as one of Europe's most influential leaders.
Credit for Lisbon Treaty "yes" vote
Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen is our number 2 choice.
Mr Cowen has has taken much of the blame for deep decline in the Irish economy, which has been severely affected by the financial crisis. But when it comes to taking the credit for Ireland's ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, many commentators agree it should be him.
It's a remarkable turnaround, when just a year earlier, the Irish had voted a resounding no.
Man behind last Lisbon stumbling block
At No 3 however, we've picked the man who pulled the rug out from under the feet of politicians in Brussels by refusing to sign the Lisbon Treaty...well for a while anyway.
President Klaus of the Czech Republic - who, after the Irish, has long since been the biggest thorn in the Lisbon Treatys side - declared that he wanted to add extra amendments.
The news was met with howls of disapproval from from all corners of the continent. Eventually President Klaus ratified the document and the Lisbon Treaty came into effect on 1 December.
But for standing up to the vast EU machine at the eleventh hour, Vaclav Klaus is at No 3 in our countdown of top ten European personalities of 2009.
You can hear our top ten on today's special edition of the Network Europe radio show.
The full top ten list
1. Angela Merkel (German Chancellor)
2. Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen (Irish Taoiseach)
3. Vaclav Klaus (President - Czech Republic)
4. Gordon Brown (UK Prime Minister)
5. Dmitry Medvedev (Russian President)
6. Nicholas Sarkozy (French President)
7. Silvio Berlusconi (Italian Prime Minister)
8. Jose Manual Barosso (EU Commission President)
9. Johanna Sigurdardottir (Iceland Prime Minister)
10.Herman Van Rompuy (EU Council President)
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