Time magazine has named German Chancellor Angela Merkel its 2015 “Person of the Year”, noting her leadership during the Syrian refugee crisis, the Greek bail-out deal, currency turmoil in the European Union, and Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.
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A pastor’s daughter who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, the 61-year-old made an unprecedented journey to become chancellor and is now regarded as the world’s most powerful woman.
“As far as Merkel’s concerned, she ought to be ashamed of herself, what she’s done”, Trump said, saying there were “riots in the street” in Germany over refugees.
In 1999, Time picked the German-born Albert Einstein as Person of the Century.
“She has stepped up in a way that was uncharacteristic even for her”, Gibbs said on NBC’s “Today“.
Mrs Merkel is the first woman to receive the coveted title in 29 years, making her only the fourth individual female victor since 1927.
In recent years, crises have tested German politics and the country’s people.
Only five women in history have been honoured with the title – not including the TIME Person of the Year award in 1975 which was dedicated to all American women.
“It’s pretty easily Angela Merkel”, he said speaking to CNN, describing her as “the de facto leader of the European Union”.
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Matt Lauer asked Gibbs if it would have been impossible to name Al-Baghdadi as its Person of the Year, considering the deadly attacks his terrorist organization has carried out. “And finally, the carnage in Paris revived the reflex to slam doors, build walls and trust no one”, Gibbs wrote. Donald, being the actual grump that he is, complained over Twitter about Time not choosing him despite being a “favorite”, and picking someone who is “ruining Germany”. The Time depicted her ten years of rule as ‘resolutely dull’. This, of course, is excluding 2002’s “The Whistleblowers“, 2005’s “The Good Samaritans“, 2006’s “You“, 2011’s “The Protester” and 2014’s “Ebola Fighters“, which all were represented on the cover of the magazine by at least one woman.
