Angela Merkel named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was named TIME Person of the Year on Wednesday, with a cover made from an oil portrait by award-winning artist Colin Davidson.

As Nancy Gibbs, editor of Time Magazine, explained, Merkel got the accolade for her fearless stance in socio-political issues.

Wednesdays news came in as Merkels spokesman Steffen Seibert was leading a government press conference in the German capital, while Merkel herself was at an event in Leipzig.

Merkel, elected to her position in 2005, has been called the most powerful politician on the planet and is the first woman to lead Germany. Gibbs cited Merkel’s work in handling the European economic and refugee crises, as well as her actions in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks.

“In a year where world leaders were tested all through the year, no one was tested the way she was, over and over again”, Gibbs told Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie.

Merkel said she was not the first chancellor who has had to face a struggle.

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.

“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. She received a doctorate in chemistry, not politics.

“The prospect of Greek bankruptcy threatened the very existence of the euro zone”.

Although some of Merkel’s decisions have not been popular in her home country, Time said that is actually a positive thing.

German chancellor can speak Russian, she lacks vanity, she lives quite an ordinary life in her flat in Berlin, with her husband scientist; she shops in an ordinary store and when she manages to go on holiday, she goes hiking somewhere in the Alps.

In 2014 Ebola Fighters (represented by people like Dr. Jerry Brown, Dr. Kent Brantly, Ella Watson-Stryker, Foday Gallah and Salome Karmah) were named the Person of the Year 2014.

Readers voted U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to receive the title, but that poll is non-binding. “You can agree with her or not, but she is not taking the easy road.

Times reported that Germany overtook France as the most competitive major European economy and found trading partners outside the continent, especially China.