HE Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey, has been voted the winner of the Chatham House Prize 2010. The other nominees for the Prize were Christine Lagarde, Finance Minister, France and Stjepan Mesić, President of Croatia (2000-10).

HE Christine Lagarde, Finance Minister, France

Christine Lagarde has adeptly steered the French economy through stormy economic times while being a leading protagonist in efforts during 2009 to forge international consensus on reforming the international financial and monetary architecture.

Ms Lagarde was a key spokesperson for the euro area on the international stage throughout the year. She consistently and eloquently promoted the need for debate on stronger and more effective regulation of the international financial and monetary system. In particular she pushed for the end of guaranteed bonus payouts, which some regarded as having encouraged excessive risk-­taking in the banking sector, and keeping a close watch on the openness of the international economy in the face of the rising risk of protectionism.

Ms Lagarde's credibility in financial matters has already been recognized by the Financial Times, which voted her European Finance Minister of the Year in 2009 for her handling of the financial crisis - as demonstrated by the greater resilience of the French economy relative to its European partners.

Stjepan Mesić, President of Croatia (2000­-10)

Stjepan Mesić has shown consistently strong and effective leadership in Croatia at a time when the country has been transformed into a modern democratic European state following the regional wars of the 1990s.

During his two terms in office as President of Croatia the country evolved from a post­-war state on the fringes of Europe to one integrated into NATO and well advanced in negotiations to join the European Union.

From early on in his presidency Mr Mesić showed courage in his efforts to foster better relations with Croatia's neighbours. In the face of domestic criticism he sent alleged Croatian war criminals to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and dismissed a number of generals when they publicly protested against that decision, thereby setting the tone for the rest of his tenure and opening Croatia's accession route to EU membership.

Chatham House Prize 2010 >>