Angela Merkel: Person of the Year

American Time Magazine has named German Chancellor Angela Merkel as its “Person of the Year” underlying her role in Europe’s crises over migration and Greek debt. “Merkel had provided steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply”, Time editor Nancy Gibbs wrote. Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was named runner-up and third place went to US presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Nancy Gibbs wrote of Angela Merkel: “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.” Citing the refugee and Greek economic crises, along with the Paris terror attacks, Gibbs said: “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.”