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