TIME magazine said the German chancellor had “stepped in” every time a serious crisis had threatened European statecraft this year.
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The Economist has called Merkel the “Indispensible European” in response to her handling of a series of crises in one of the most turbulent times in European history.
Among the final eight contenders are Al-Baghdadi, who Time said “as leader of ISIS has inspired followers to both fight in his self-declared caliphate of Iraq and Syria, and also stage attacks in countries like Tunisia and France”.
The venerable American magazine lauded Merkel as the indispensable player in managing the prospect of Greek bankruptcy threatening the euro zone, and the migrant and refugee crisis.
TIME named Merkel the “Chancellor of the free world” on their illustruious cover and poignantly said the politician was deserving of the award, having shown “steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply”.
Trump took to Twitter to disapprove of the magazine’s choice for the person of the year, saying, “I told you @TIME Magazine would never pick me as person of the year despite being the big favourite. Leaders are tested only when people don’t want to follow”. She is the first German since Willy Brandt, the West German chancellor named in 1970 for “seeking to bring about a fresh relationship between East and West” during the Cold War.
Among other runners up were Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, America’s Black Lives Matter activists campaigning against inequality and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani.
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The fifth most-talked about artist on Facebook was the rapper Wiz Khalifa. Her “to do” list outstripped probably anyone else on the planet.
