Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel, has been officially named as Time Magazine’s person of the year this afternoon.
Merkel claimed the coveted title after she bet a number of rivals including Donald Trump amongst others, when the the magazine dubbed her the “Chancellor of the Free World.” The somewhat surprising winner was announced earlier today with many questioning the publications choice for the world renowned title. However a spokesperson for Time explained, that Merkel handled several international crises, including Greece’s potential bankruptcy, the European refugee influx, and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. According to Nancy Gibbs, Merkel’s slow but steady political style is one to be admired. “Germany has spent the past 70 years testing antidotes to its toxically nationalist, militarist, genocidal past,” she wrote. “Merkel brandished a different set of values—humanity, generosity, tolerance—to demonstrate how Germany’s great strength could be used to save, rather than destroy.”
The news has another major significance as Merkel is the first individual woman to appear as Time’s Person of the Year in 29 years, with the last being, President Corazon Aquino of the Philippines back in 1986, when she caused controversy by beating a number of men to the honor which was actually still called “Man of the Year.”