German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been called the person of the year by Time who dedicated the cover to her, the 93rd since the prize was established. “Angela Merkel, chancellor of a free world”, is the title on the magazine alongside a portrait of the German leader.

The choice was made by Nancy Gibbs, who directs the weekly. “In a year where world leaders were tested throughout the year, nobody was like her,” Gibbs said. Merkel, 61, chancellor since 2005, managed the refugee crisis in Europe, after the economic crisis, “has firmly opposed tyranny and provided decisive moral leadership in a world that is short of it”, reads the piece with which Time explains the choice for the “person of the year”.
The motivation. Merkel was awarded “for having welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees and for managing the European debt crisis”. For “asking more than most politicians in his country would have dared.” “For having demonstrated a resolute moral leadership in a world where it is scarce”. And for “his leadership in having promoted and maintained an open and borderless Europe in the face of the economic crisis and that of refugees “.

The award was called Man of the Year until 1999, but at a certain point it was seen as reductive, as well as discriminatory. And so, it was dedicated to a person, a group, an idea or an object that “for better or for worse influenced the events of that year”. In 2014 as a person of the year the ‘Ebola fighters’ were chosen, while the year before it was the turn of Pope Francis . In 2012 the choice fell on Barack Obama (who had already been a person of the year in 2008) and in 2011 he was selected ‘the protester’, as a symbol of the Arab Springs.

The competitors. Merkel got the upper hand over a number of other candidates, including Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who was considered the favorite, the candidate for the Republican White House nomination Donald Trump, the president of Iran Hassan Rohani and the CEO of Uber Travis Kalanick . On December 7 Trump, a Republican known for his extremist positions, asked for a ban on entry to Muslims in the US “at least until our representatives can figure out what is happening”.

The fourth woman. It is the fourth cover dedicated to a woman alone, 29 years have passed since Time chose a woman as a person of the year. The previous ones were Wallis Simpson (1936) Elizabeth II of England (1952) and Corazon Aquino (1986). In other cases, the women appeared on the covers, but in groups. In 1937 Chiang’s wife appeared, president of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1948. In 1975, the cover entitled “Women of the year” was given to 12 women (Susan Brownmiller, Kathleen Byerly, Alison Cheek, Jill Conway, Betty Ford, Ella Grasso, Carla Hills, Barbara Jordan, Billie Jean King, Carol Sutton, Susie Sharp and Addie Wyatt). In 2002, the three women revealed information about the events of World Com (Cooper), FBI 2001 (Rowley), Enron (Watkins).

Trump’s protest. The choice of the American magazine that “reflects Time’s view on who influenced the news and our lives, for better or for worse”, did not like Donald Trump. According to him, he was “the big favorite”. “I told you – he protested – that they would never have chosen me. They preferred me to the person who is ruining Germany”. In reality, the billionaire in the polls for the Republican nomination finished third in the ranking. He has also been overtaken by the ‘caliph’ of the Islamic State.

The book. “Merkel – explains the German political scientist Michael Braun, author of the book” Mutti: Angela Merkel explained to the Italians “(Laterza) – from her countrymen is called ‘mutti’, mother. In Germany she is considered as a maternal, protective, not as a grim person, as often seen abroad in many EU countries My book is dedicated precisely to explaining to Italians this bipolarity, this being ‘Giano bi-forehead’ of the Chancellor also in the perception she gives of himself “.