Joining the small group of women to receive the title, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel was named the 2015 Person of the Year by Time Magazine. Born in West Germany but raised in East Germany, Merkel grew up in the middle of German conflict and division. Fast forward 51 years to 2005, and Merkel is the first woman to hold office as the Chancellor of Germany. With 2015 marking her tenth year as Chancellor, Merkel’s political career has been characterized by her slow, cautious pace. However, Merkel has gone away with her tendency to avoid drama with her decision to open Germany’s doors to refugees and asylum seekers.

Picked over other candidates such as the Black Lives Matter movement and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani , Time Magazine made their admiration for the Chancellor clear with a video and article posted to their website. The magazine made the argument that Merkel is not only a trailblazer for women in politics, but a strong leader who doesn’t back down. To support their choice, Time cited the time Merkel responded to Islamaphobic protesters by marching linked with Muslim leaders. The magazine also pointed out how she helped the almost bankrupt Greece under her own strict terms despite harsh criticism. Then to highlight what makes her 2015’s Person of the Year, Time brought up her more recent decision to stand by refugees. Merkel’s decision to continue accepting refugees has been met with resistance as a result of Islamaphobia in Europe due to recent Terror attacks. Even so, Merkel has stood her ground. As stated by Time Magazine: “You can agree with her or not, but she is not taking the easy road”.

Despite the strong words of admiration, there has been mixed reviews on whether Merkel was the right decision for Person of the Year. Some agree that she has proven to be a strong leader, such as British newspaper Financial Times who also chose Merkel as their Person of the Year citing that her “strong stance on eurozone and refugees has shaped a bolder Germany”. However, not everyone was a fan of the decision.  National Review writer Andrew Stuttatford reported that Time neglected to acknowledge her deficiencies in office, such as her failed energy policy or uncertain attitude towards Russia. Stuttaford went as far as to say Merkel is unworthy of the award when compared to other winners. Also, Person of the Year runner-up Donald Trump tweeted about the decision, stating that the Time’s person of the year was ruining Germany.