The Stellantis CEO takes sixth position out of nine spots in the disruptive category. The ranking also evaluates two other categories: doers and dreamers. The title of most powerful person in Europe was handed over to Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Is the future of the automobile electric? The answer will be decided in part by Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis, the sixth largest car manufacturer in the world, created last year by the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Grupo PSA, which owns brands such as Peugeot and Citroën”, reads the publication.

The manager is at the centre of the debate on the future of decarbonised mobility, having already warned of the risks that the transition represents for European jobs, as well as the carbon footprint of battery manufacturing. “What is clear is that electrification is a technology chosen by policymakers, not industry,” he said earlier this year.

He also launched a “Freedom of Mobility Forum” to discuss the future of decarbonised mobility, scheduled for early next year. The initiative is expected to provide some clues about Europe's willingness and ability to take the next step towards changing the way people move.

In the category that Tavares is featured in— “the disruptors” — the podium belongs to Giorgia Meloni, the new Italian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, prime minister of Hungary, and Sir Keir Starmer, a British politician who currently serves as leader of the Labour Party.

Zelenskyy and Putin in the spotlight

The title of most powerful person in Europe was handed over to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Europe is changing. (…) He is rethinking what it means to be European, and that is due, in large part, to the fact that the Ukrainian comedian has become president”.

“This is not the first time Ukraine has been attacked by Russia. (…) The reason things are different this time is because of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.”

In the category of “dreamers”, headed by Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland, Vladimir Putin takes the ninth position, albeit with the nickname “The loser”.

“Vladimir Putin's dream of a greater Russia is unlikely to come true. His all-out assault on Ukraine started to crumble almost as quickly as it started,” Político justifies. But adds: "Putin's inability to realise his dream doesn't mean he won't continue to be a nightmare for his neighbours."