アメリカのタイム誌は12月9日、2015年の「パーソン・オブ・ザ・イヤー（今年の人）」に、ドイツのメルケル首相を選んだと発表した。
欧州の債務危機や中東などからの難民受け入れに対する行動力によって、「開かれたボーダーレスな欧州を維持、促進してきた指導力」を発揮したことが理由だ。パリの同時多発テロも加わって、欧州が排他的になりそうなとき、「メルケル氏がその都度、介入した」と評価した。
「タイム」紙の表紙を飾るメルケル首相
「今年の人」は、タイム誌が1927年以来、「良くも悪くも、最もニュースに影響を与えた人」を選んでいる。2015年はアメリカ大統領選に名乗りを上げている不動産王ドナルド・トランプ氏や、過激派組織「イスラム国」（IS）の最高指導者アブバクル・バグダディ容疑者のほか、トランスジェンダーをカミングアウトした元オリンピック金メダリストのケイトリン・ジェンナーなどが候補に挙がっていた。
タイム誌のナンシー・ギブス編集長は、発表文で「人々が従いたくない局面でしか指導者は試されない」として、「大半の政治家よりも多くのことを自国に求め、暴政と安易な利己主義に対して断固たる姿勢で立ち向かい、世界でもまれな確固たる道徳的指導力を発揮したアンゲラ・メルケル氏が、タイム誌の今年の人だ」とコメント。「人間性や寛大さといったこれまでとは異なる価値を前面に打ち出し、ドイツが持つ強大な力を、どうすれば破壊ではなく救済のために使うことができるのかを示した」と称賛した。
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TIME 世界で最も影響力のある１００人 2015年
Kanye West(01 of24)
\"Kanye West would be the first person to tell you he belongs on this list. The dude doesn’t believe in false modesty, and he shouldn’t.\" -- Elon Musk (credit:Kevin Mazur via Getty Images)
Laverne Cox(02 of24)
\"She’s done so many amazing things—not just acting on \'Orange Is the New Black\' but also loving herself enough to share her story with the world. She’s a pioneer for our community.\" -- Jazz Jennings (credit:Amy Sussman/Invision/AP)
Kim Kardashian(03 of24)
\"Beautiful in an exotic, totally exaggerated way, Kim exudes energy, sexuality, drama, determination, impetuousness and happiness.\" -- Martha Stewart (credit:LOIC VENANCE via Getty Images)
Emma Watson(04 of24)
\"Emma Watson’s alter ego Hermione Granger would doubtless approve of her HeForShe campaign and its gutsy, smart take on feminism.\" -- Jill Abramson (credit:Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift(05 of24)
\"Taylor Swift: megawatt talent, an extraordinary spirit, an impossibly charming blend of impishness, poise and radiance to spare. All of it combines to rock me back on my heels every time I see her.\" -- Mariska Hargitay (credit:John Salangsang/Invision/AP)
Chris Pratt(06 of24)
\"Chris Pratt is here to save us—from aliens, dinosaurs and general boredom. America has decided he is its next big movie star, and I understand why.\" -- Amy Poehler (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Julianne Moore(07 of24)
\"Fearless. That is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Julianne Moore. Of course, the words beautiful, elegant, smart, loyal and steadfast can be used to describe her too.\" -- Tom Ford (credit:Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Amy Schumer(08 of24)
\"Amy’s got your back.\nShe’s in your corner.\nShe’s an honesty bomb.\nAnd she’s coming for you.\" -- Tilda Swinton (credit:Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Bradley Cooper(09 of24)
\"It’s hard to make people, especially your friends, forget who you are onscreen. But Bradley’s that good. And I think we’ve seen only a hint of what’s to come.\" -- Oliver Platt (credit:Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Sarah Koenig(10 of24)
\"Sarah Koenig talked to me in the bath, in the kitchen and in the subway, and although I knew there were plenty of others listening—the series has been downloaded more than 80 million times—she had an uncanny knack for making me feel like she was talking just to me.\" -- Ewan McGregor (credit:Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Lorne Michaels(11 of24)
\"When I called Lorne Michaels to talk about writing this piece, he mentioned that he’d been in the TIME 100 once before, in 2008. And I wondered, Who could TIME have chosen in between as having more influence in comedy?\" -- Jack Nicholson (credit:Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Reese Witherspoon(12 of24)
\"Reese is an artist, but she is also a hustler, a quality I recognized in her the first time I met her.\" -- Mindy Kaling (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Kevin Hart(13 of24)
\"After he makes you laugh for an hour, you feel like you’re his friend—you feel his joy and his pain.\" -- Chris Rock (credit:Jeffrey Mayer via Getty Images)
Richard Linklater(14 of24)
\"The consistent thread in Rick’s career has been a passion for cinema that cannot be defeated or undermined in any way.\" -- Ethan Hawke (credit:Colin Young-Wolff/Invision/AP)
Julianna Margulies(15 of24)
\"When I met Julianna Margulies last year, it didn’t take long to recognize a kindred spirit. It wasn’t just that we quickly began finishing each other’s sentences.\" -- Kirsten Gillibrand (credit:Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Christopher Nolan(16 of24)
\"From \'Batman Begins\' to \'Interstellar,\' I did six blockbusters in a row with Christopher Nolan. I don’t think I’ve done two blockbusters in a row with anyone else. I used to call him the new David Lean, but he’s not. He’s the Christopher Nolan.\" -- Michael Caine (credit:Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Jill Soloway(17 of24)
\"Years ago, I read a short story by Jill Soloway about the personal assistant of a successful Hollywood TV actress who is tasked with addressing tabloid rumors that her boss bleaches her anus. ... It was my first encounter with Jill’s singular, audacious voice, which continues to speak loudly for all who yearn for an authentic life—and we are all the better for it.\" -- Alan Ball (credit:Victoria Will/Invision/AP)
Lee Daniels(18 of24)
\"His eyes and ears are attuned to nuance. He knows how to rattle the nerves of the zeitgeist. He is an undeniable, singular voice, the likes of which we’ve rarely seen.\" -- Oprah Winfrey (credit:Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
John Oliver(19 of24)
\"John is powerful because he isn’t afraid to tackle important issues thoughtfully, without fear or apology. But he’s unique because he uses irreverent humor to make people think.\" -- Elizabeth Bierman (credit:Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Audra McDonald(20 of24)
\"Beautiful. Intelligent. Extraordinarily talented. These are just a few words that describe the incomparable Audra McDonald.\" -- Carrie Underwood (credit:Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Tim McGraw(21 of24)
\"A big reader of serious novels and of history, McGraw’s a kind of Renaissance man in a cowboy hat, and it’s clear he’s got a lot of life left to live and art still to make—good news for the rest of us.\" -- Jon Meacham (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Bjork(22 of24)
\"If you are really true to yourself and really follow your intuition in the most rigorous way, there is a moment that becomes universal, that reaches everybody. That’s the real magic of Björk—she teaches us the courage to be ourselves.\" -- Marina Abramovic (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Alexander Wang(23 of24)
\"He’s one of the most fun and fabulous people I’ve had the pleasure of working with and knowing. His parties always have a dance floor, and you can always find him in the middle of it.\" -- Karlie Kloss (credit:Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Ina Garten(24 of24)
\"She shows us how to create memories that we’ll treasure for years to come. For that, we will always cherish the merry and magnificent Ina Garten.\" -- Taylor Swift (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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