Simone Veil

Simone Veil

"Holocaust survivor and first female President of the European Parliament"

Full name:

Simone Annie Liline Jacob

Date and place of birth:

13 July 1927, Nice, France

Date and place of death:

30 June 2017 (aged 89), Paris, France

Education:

  • Simone Veil was born into a Jewish family, which made it difficult for her to continue her education during the early years of World War II, requiring her to study at home for a while.
  • In 1944, Simone and her family were arrested and deported to Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Bobrek, and eventually Bergen-Belsen. However, after returning to Paris in May 1945, she resumed her studies in law at the University of Paris and later pursued political science at the Institut d'études politiques.

"The basic idea uniting us, namely that without an ever greater solidarity, none of our countries will be capable of holding on to their power, their independence and maybe even of continuing to exist, is firmly anchored in the democratic interaction between voters and those they elect."

“We were convinced that if the victors of 1945 failed to achieve swift and full reconciliation with Germany, the wounds of a Europe that was already torn between East and West would never heal, and the world would then be on course for another conflict that would be even more devastating than the preceding ones.”

- Simone Veil

Career:

  • After graduating, Veil spent several years practicing law.
  • 1954: She passed the national examination to become a magistrate and, in this role, provided guidance and advice to successive ministers for justice.
  • 1970: She became the first female secretary general of the Conseil supérieur de la magistrature (Council of the magistrature).
  • From 1974 to 1979: Veil served as Minister for Health. During this time, she pushed forward two significant laws. The first, passed on December 4, 1974, facilitated access to contraception, such as the combined oral contraceptive pill. The second, passed on January 17, 1975, legalized abortion in France. This law was perceived as a remarkable achievement. It would become widely known as la loi Veil. At that time, she was also serving as the Minister of Social Security and the Family.
  • 1979: Simone Veil was elected as a Member of the European Parliament and became its president, a position she held until 1982. Veil was the first female president of the European Parliament and the first woman to be at the head of any EU institution. She was also the leader of the first directly elected European Parliament.
  • During her time at the Parliament, she served as chair of the legal affairs committee. She was also a member of the environment, political affairs, foreign affairs, and security committees, as well as the subcommittee on human rights.
  • In addition, she was chair and vice chair of the Liberal and Democratic Group, which was later named the Liberal and Democratic Reformist Group.
  • 1981: She won the Charlemagne Prize - an award to honour a person's contributions to advancing the unity of Europe.
  • 1993: Veil returned to French politics after 14 years of activity in the European Parliament, serving as Minister of State and Minister of Health and Social Affairs until 1995.
  • From 1998 to 2007: She was a member of France's Constitutional Council.
  • From 2001 to 2007: She served as the first president of the Foundation for the Memory of the Shoah (Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah).
  • 2005: Veil campaigned in favor of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
  • 2008: Simone Veil became a member of the Académie française.

Contribution to Europe:

  • Advocacy for European Unity: After the war, as a survivor of the Holocaust, Simone found it difficult to comprehend how a war could occur between European countries. As her career evolved, she became more fond of the idea of a Europe where such atrocities would never happen again. She believed this aim could only be achieved through European unity.
  • Human Rights Activist: Veil used her position as President of the European Parliament to remind people on numerous occasions of the importance of human rights in building a stable Europe. She worked tirelessly to advocate for various human rights issues, including reproductive rights by legalizing abortion, and the rights of Holocaust survivors.

Vision for Europe:

  • Veil's vision for Europe was deeply influenced by her traumatic experiences during the Second World War, which instilled in her a profound commitment to a unified Europe. She strongly believed that integration and cooperation among European nations were crucial to preventing the recurrence of conflicts and cruelty that she had witnessed in the past. She also recognized the importance of human rights advocacy in unifying European countries.

Did you know?

Simone Veil was one of the few women who were members of the Académie Française. She had three things engraved on the ceremonial sword which is made for each member of the academy. These were: her Auschwitz tattoo number, 78651; the French Republic motto, 'Liberty Equality, Fraternity'; and the motto of the European Union, 'United in Diversity'.

Simone Veil as President of the European Parliament, in the Strasbourg plenary chamber, 1980

Simone Veil as President of the European Parliament, in the Strasbourg plenary chamber, 1980

Visit of Chen Pixian, Secretary of the Communist Party of China, to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, 1983

Visit of Chen Pixian, Secretary of the Communist Party of China, to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, 1983

Portrait of Simone Veil

Portrait of Simone Veil

The Foundation of Simone Veil:

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