Ahead of ISIS Leader, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel Named TIME's Person of the Year

Posted by Odinaka on Wed 09th Dec, 2015 - tori.ng

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been named Time Magazine's 'Person of the Year'. The magazine cited her role in Europe's crises over migration and Greek debt.

Time magazine has named 61-year old German Chancellor, Angela Merkel its 2015 "Person of the Year" on Wednesday, noting her resilience and leadership when faced with the refugee crisis and turmoil in the European Union over its currency this year.

The managing editor, Nancy Gibbs in a statement explaining the magazine's choice, said despite crises in the region that caused "reason to wonder whether Europe could continue to exist," Merkel, emerged as an "indispensable player."

"For asking more of her country than most politicians would dare, for standing firm against tyranny as well as expedience and for providing steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply, Angela Merkel is 'Time's Person of the Year'.

"Each time Merkel stepped in. Germany would bail Greece out, on her strict terms. It would welcome refugees as casualties of radical Islamist savagery, not carriers of it.

"And it would deploy troops abroad in the fight against ISIS [Islamic State]. You can agree with her or not, but she is not taking the easy road. Leaders are tested only when people don't want to follow.

"The magazine also noted her leadership during what it called Russian President Vladimir Putin's "creeping theft of Ukraine", " Gibbs wrote.

Merkel spokesman, Steffen Seibert in response to the news, told a government news conference: "I am sure the chancellor will cherish this as an incentive in her job."

Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was named runner-up and third place went to US presidential hopeful, Donald Trump.

Time Person of the Year 2015 Top 7

1. Angela Merkel - German chancellor since the 2005 election, leader of the CDU

2. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi - head of the Islamic State militant group

3. Donald Trump - business magnate seeking Republican nomination as US presidential candidate

4. Black Lives Matter - activist group campaigning against violence towards black people, notably in the US

5. Hassan Rouhani - president of Iran since 2013

6. Travis Kalanick - US entrepreneur, founder of the Uber transportation network firm

7. Caitlyn Jenner - born Bruce Jenner, became 1976 Olympic decathlon champion, officially changed name and gender in 2015