A few world leaders can claim to end 2021 stronger than they started it. Many of them, buffeted by the winds of rising inflation and pandemic fatigue, might have felt their incumbency is a curse. Some of the leaders, however, stood out, achieving spectacular successes offsetting the impacts of the pandemic. Let us look at the performance of the global leaders in the outgoing year.
Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reached a unique height in the politics of Bangladesh in 2021 when she completed leading the Awami League for 40 years at a stretch. Serving the country as Prime Minister for more than 13 years in a row, she bagged many rare achievements for Bangladesh in the year, including the adoption of UN resolution on Bangladesh's graduation from LDC, and recognition of Bangladesh's achievements in sustainable development. Under her leadership, Bangladesh economy kept the journey on the development highway combating the coronavirus.
Joe Biden
2021 was not an easy year for US President Joe Biden. His party struggled to pass a signature piece of legislation in the form of the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act, US inflation has reached a 40-year high, and his approval rating is underwater. However, the president's first year has not been all doom and gloom. In fact, since taking the oath of office on January 20, Biden has had considerable achievements, including passing the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package.
Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who closed the year in what appears to be an unassailable position, having consolidated his authority over China’s Communist Party – and his control over the country itself. At its annual meeting in November, the Communist Party’s central committee passed its first “historical resolution” in 40 years, declaring that Xi’s leadership was “the key to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”. The fighting of coronavirus by the Chinese government was an example for the rest of the world.
Boris Johnson
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 2021 began and ended in chaos, with mounting Covid-19 cases requiring tougher restrictions which sparked a bitter battle between the Prime Minister and his own backbenchers. It is easy to forget that in between those troughs, the Tory leader was at times seen as the master of all he surveyed, buoyed by the successful vaccines rollout and dominant over his party. Although the polls look positive for Labour Party’s Sir Keir Starmer heading in to the new year, he has had his own share of headaches during 2021.
Vladimir Putin
The armed forces and the general improvement of country's combat capability was the main achievement of Vladimir Putin's presidency. Nearly 40 percent of the Russians acknowledged the fact in an opinion poll. His second biggest success was solving the Chechen crisis. Russia's economic development was one of Putin's major achievements in the outgoing year.
