German Chancellor Angela Merkel Trumps Trump; Is Named Time’s Person Of The Year

Time has named German chancellor Angela Merkel ‘Person of the Year’, despite many predictions Donald Trump would take the title.

The magazine wouldn’t necessarily have been blamed for giving Trump the accolade. As history shows, they’ve not always awarded it to the most admirable people; rather, the most influential and widely discussed.

And yet, in a week where the former businessman turned Presidential hopeful called for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the United States, Time gave their cover to Merkel, who helped shepherd Syrian asylum seekers onto Europe’s shores. (One million asylum seekers are expected to arrive in Germany alone before 2015 is over.)

"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," wrote Time editor Nancy Gibbs.

Described by Time as de facto leader of the European Union, Merkel was also credited for holding together the European Monetary Union during the Greek bankruptcy crisis.

Time’s shortlist of runners up also included the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Caitlyn Jenner, Uber founder Travis Kalanick, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and ISIS head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. (Like we said, Time - who in 1938 called Adolf Hitler their Person of the Year - don't shy away from controversy with their picks.)

Trump, meanwhile, is facing a petition attempting to bar him from entering Britain. At the time of this writing, it has received more than 370,000 signatures. Parliament must consider all petitions with more than 100,000 signatures.