European of the Year (Reader's Digest award) explained

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.^[1]
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.^[2]
2014: Swiss entrepreneur and politician Thomas Minder.^[3]
2015: Felix Finkbeiner (born 1997) founder of the international children and youth initiative Plant-for-the-Planet, to mitigate effects of climate change.^[4]
2016: Laura Codruța Kövesi (born 1973) current chief prosecutor of Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate.^[5]
2017: Boyan Slat (born 1994) Dutch inventor, entrepreneur and founder of The Ocean Cleanup.^[6]
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.^[7]
2021: Petteri Taalas, head of the World Meteorological Organization^[8]

Notes and References

http://www.presseportal.de/pm/32522/1747497/monika-hauser-ist-europaeerin-des-jahres-2011-mit-bild Monika Hauser ist „Europäerin des Jahres 2011".
http://www.msz.gov.pl/en/foreign_policy/polish_aid/reader_s_digest_european_of_the_year_2013_award_for_agnieszka_romaszewska_guzy;jsessionid=AC8E96B4ED40F57BF64D376CBC963E5D.cmsap1p Reader's Digest - European of the Year 2013
http://www.presseportal.de/pm/32522/2644640/stimme-des-volkes-thomas-minder-ist-der-europaeer-des-jahres-2014-foto Stimme des Volkes: Thomas Minder ist der Europäer des Jahres 2014.
http://www.presseportal.de/pm/32522/2930272/1000-milliarden-b-ume-f-r-unsere-zukunft 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
https://www.agerpres.ro/english/2016/01/18/chief-anticorruption-prosecutor-kovesi-awarded-european-of-the-year-by-reader-s-digest-17-31-11 Chief anticorruption prosecutor Kovesi awarded 'European of the Year' by Reader's Digest
http://www.readersdigest.ca/features/rdi/european-year-boyan-slatan-wants-clean-oceans/ European of the Year: Boyan Slat Wants to Clean Up the Oceans
https://readersdigest.de/de/menschen/helden-des-alltags/item/zum-wegwerfen-zu-schade Zum Wegwerfen zu schade!
Web site: WMO head is named European of the Year by Reader's Digest . https://web.archive.org/web/20231218180957/https://public-old.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/wmo-head-named-european-of-year-readers-digest-0 . dead . December 18, 2023 . 18 January 2021 .