Merkel is the first woman in 29 years to hold the title of Times' 'Person of the year'
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been named the 'Person of the Year' by Times magazine. Merkel was awarded the title for her resilience and leadership when faced with the Syrian refugee crisis and turmoil in the European Union over its currency this year. She is also the first woman to hold the title in almost 29 years.
Here are five reasons why she is worth the title:
1. Her stance during the Eurozone crisis:
During the global economic crisis, Merkel successfully fought the national recession with lucrative government subsidies for firms that cut hours for workers and stimulus packages. She even played a major role in clinching a deal that helped revived Greece's economy and made it possible for the country to remain in the Eurozone.
2. Forbes' Most Powerful Woman in the World:
Merkel has continued her reign as the world's most powerful woman for ten years. Merkel had in December 2014 won a third four-year term of Europe's most vibrant economy which has made her the longest serving elected European Union head of state.
3. Her stance on terrorism:
Merkel for the very first time after the post-Nazi-era used her power against the Islamic State (ISIS). She broke the Nazi-era taboo attached with Germany and participated directly to curb ISIS' terror spread by sending arms and ammunitions to the Kurdish fighters fighting the militants. Her powerful statement against terrorism and promoting aid to the needy was even mentioned by the Times' which shows that she is truly the 'Person of the Year': “In many regions war and terror prevail. States disintegrate. For many years we have read about this. We have heard about it. We have seen it on TV. But we had not yet sufficiently understood that what happens in Aleppo and Mosul can affect Essen or Stuttgart. We have to face that now.”
4. Her stance during the Russia-Ukraine crisis:
Merkel has been actively engaging in the shuttle diplomacy to broker a peace deal with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. She called in Putin several times as she witnessed that the peace deal was not being properly fulfilled. She even confronted Putin for annexation of Crimea and the warfare in Ukraine and how it has impacted everyone and has taken many innocent lives.
5. Her stance on the refugee crisis:
She has come forth as a true leader in the ongoing refugee crisis. When tens of thousands of refugees started pouring in Hungary from the Middle East, Merkel called on a meeting agreeing to suspend the asylum rules of the European Union so that more refugees could be accommodated swiftly into Europe. She has strongly spoken about the need of the hour which is to welcome the refugees from the war-torn areas. She has pledged to welcome almost 1 million refugees by the end of December. She has continued her "open-door" stance even though her popularity ratings for conservatives have dramatically fallen due to the reason from 75% to 54% over the eight months. She has led the entire Europe to deal with the refugee crisis with her motto 'We can do this'.
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 "German Chancellor Angela Merkel appears on the cover of Time Magazines Person of the Year issue in this undated handout photo ob")
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