Abhisit Vejjajiva
Prime Minister, Thailand

Among the world’s newest leaders, having taken office in December 2008, 44-year-old Abhisit Vejjajiva is also among the youngest Thai leaders in the country’s history.

Swept into power following massive protests that paralyzed the country’s airports, the new Prime Minister has struggled to get his country’s economy going again.

Among his first acts in office was to send a mass text message to the country’s citizens asking for their help and input. Though he was criticized for violating privacy regulations, mobile phone companies, at least, got a boost.

Nikola Gruevski
Prime Minister, Macedonia

A former Minister of Finance for the small Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski became Prime Minister in 2006. His government installed a mostly fresh-faced set of reformers as the small nation tries to get into the European Union. All of this is fairly typical of a European Prime Minister.

His background, though, is a different story. His ancestry includes Greek roots (though some prefer “Aegean Macedonian”), which is a bit awkward considering that Greece has been Macedonia’s chief nemesis on the international stage. Though the two countries share a lot of history and culture, the Greeks object to Macedonia’s very name, insisting that their province of Macedonia has exclusive rights.

Gruevski is also a former professional boxer (albeit with a brief career) which makes his current appearance that much more impressive. Click here for Page 6.