Since 1996 the editors of the European editions of the Reader's Digest magazine have named "European of the Year" individuals who best embody the traditions and values of Europe.
1996: Roman Catholic Father Imre Kozma, chairman of the Hungarian Malteser Caritas-Service. 1997: Norwegian Frederic Hauge, founder of the environmental group Bellona. 1998: British solo-skipper Pete Goss, who saved his French friend Raphael Dinelli during a solo yachting competition. 1999: Danish Inge Genefke, for her commitment to the treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims. 2000: Paul van Buitenen, who uncovered mismanagement within the European Commission. 2001: Linus Benedict Torvalds, the inventor of Linux. 2002: Eva Joly, former adjudicator in France (among others in the Tapie corruption scandal regarding Elf Aquitaine). 2003: Šimon Pánek, founder of People in Need. 2004: German jurist Peter Eigen, founder of Transparency International. 2005: Russian doctor Leonid Roshal, who mediated in the Beslan school hostage crisis. 2006: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, for her support of Muslim females threatened by religious fanatics. 2007: Swiss professor Ruedi Lüthy, for his support of African AIDS victims. 2008: French economist Maria Nowak, for her micro-credit program. 2009: German athlete Joachim Franz, for his global efforts against AIDS. 2010: Romanian Iana Matei, for her work to fight forced prostitution in Romania. 2011: Doctor Monika Hauser, for her work with sexual-assault victims in war zones.Monika Hauser ist „Europäerin des Jahres 2011". In: presseportal.de 13 January 2011 2012: Bulgarian sailor Petar Petrov, who saved 500 people during the Costa Concordia disaster. 2013: Polish director of Belsat TV, Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy, for providing a voice for Belarus.Reader's Digest - European of the Year 2013 2014: Swiss entrepreneur and politician Thomas Minder.Stimme des Volkes: Thomas Minder ist der Europäer des Jahres 2014. In: presseportal.de 21 January 2014 2015: Felix Finkbeiner (born 1997) founder of the international children and youth initiative Plant-for-the-Planet, to mitigate effects of climate change.1000 Milliarden Bäume für unsere Zukunft: Das Magazin Reader's Digest zeichnet den 17-jährigen Zukunfts-Aktivisten Felix Finkbeiner als "Europäer des Jahres 2015" aus In: presseportal.de 20 January 2015 2016: Laura Codruța Kövesi (born 1973) current chief prosecutor of Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate.Chief anticorruption prosecutor Kovesi awarded 'European of the Year' by Reader's Digest In: www.agerpres.ro 18 January 2016 2017: Boyan Slat (born 1994) Dutch inventor, entrepreneur and founder of The Ocean Cleanup.European of the Year: Boyan Slat Wants to Clean Up the Oceans In: www.readersdigest.ca 18 January 2017 2018: Edit Schlaffer, founder and chairwoman of Women Without Borders 2019: Òscar Camps, sea rescue and founder of Proactiva Open Arms 2020: Selina Juul, Danish founder and chairman of the board of Stop Wasting Food movement.Zum Wegwerfen zu schade! In: www.readersdigest.de 29 January 2020 2021: Petteri Taalas, head of the World Meteorological Organization
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