--- description: Angela Merkel is one of the leaders, innovators, activists, entertainers, athletes and artists who defined the last century. title: Angela Merkel: 100 Women of the Year image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt60212f04d13cdffe/698a0ae5457a52a009d639af/social-2015_ANGELA-MERKEL.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 2015: Angela Merkel Mar 5, 2020 11:42 AM CUT  Colin Davidson by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 5, 2020 11:42 AM CUT For her first 10 years as Germany’s Chancellor, [Angela Merkel](https://time.com/4141619/time-person-of-the-year-angela-merkel-helmut-kohl/ "undefined") proceeded with the cautious deliberation of the young scientist she had been in communist East Germany. That temperament, combined with Germany’s economic might, made Merkel the most [consequential leader in a European Union](https://time.com/4143244/angela-merkel-person-of-the-year-germany/ "undefined") that shared her devotion to human rights, free markets and open borders. Then, in the summer of 2015, as desperate Syrian refugees poured into Europe, Merkel made an uncharacteristically quick decision. Letting into Germany some 1 million refugees was an audacious act of generosity that lifted hearts, confounded ISIS and made Merkel the TIME [Person of the Year](https://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2015-angela-merkel/ "undefined"). But it also triggered an [anti-immigrant backlash](https://time.com/4097114/angela-merkel-refugees-migrants-position-paper/ "undefined") that nourished right-wing nativism. Five years on, the refugees that _Mutti_ (“Mommy”) welcomed are still being absorbed into Germany. But [reaction to the influx](https://time.com/5314776/angela-merkel-germany-crisis-migration/ "undefined") fractured her party and [cost her the leadership](https://time.com/5782778/angela-merkel-successor-annegret-kramp-karrenbauer/ "undefined") both of her country—she has vowed to step down by 2021—and of a European project now less open, less united and less certain of itself. _—Karl Vick_ --- _This article is part of_ [_100 Women of the Year_](https://time.com/100-women-of-the-year/ "undefined")_, TIME’s list of the most influential women of the past century. Read more_ [_about the project_](https://time.com/5793734/time-100-women-of-the-year-issue/ "undefined")_, explore the_ [_100 covers_](https://time.com/5793732/time-100-women-of-the-year-covers/ "undefined") _and sign up for our_ [_Inside TIME newsletter_](https://cloud.newsletters.time.com/newsletters?newsletter%5Fname=INSIDE%5FTIME&source=article-woy-footer "undefined") _for more._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5793794/angela-merkel-100-women-of-the-year/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5793794/angela-merkel-100-women-of-the-year/"},"headline":"2015: Angela Merkel","datePublished":"2020-03-05T11:42:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T08:22:09.313Z","description":"Angela Merkel is one of the leaders, innovators, activists, entertainers, athletes and artists who defined the last century.","url":"https://time.com/5793794/angela-merkel-100-women-of-the-year/","keywords":["Women of the Year"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt60212f04d13cdffe/698a0ae5457a52a009d639af/social-2015_ANGELA-MERKEL.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt60212f04d13cdffe/698a0ae5457a52a009d639af/social-2015_ANGELA-MERKEL.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"SOCIAL - Women of the Year: 2015 ANGELA-MERKEL","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5793794/angela-merkel-100-women-of-the-year/","name":"2015: Angela Merkel"}}]}] ```