Simone Veil (born Simone Jacob the July 13rd 1927 with Nice), is a political Femme French (UDF).

Survivor of the Shoah to Auschwitz, Simone Veil is above all known for the law known as Loi Veil dépénalisant in France the Avortement which it made adopt by the French Parlement as Minister for health in 1975. She is also the first woman to chair the the European Parliament 1979 1982.

Biography

Girl of an architect, Simone Jacob is Jewish, which is worth to him to undergo persecutions Nazis during the occupation. She is stopped with Nice, her birthplace (Which occurred Georges Clémenceau), then off-set with her family in March 1944 with the Concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau (under number 78651). Released the January 27th 1945, his/her sisters and it are the only surviving ones of their family. Having obtained its baccalaureat in 1944 before being off-set, it is registered in 1945 with the Faculty of Law and Institut of political studies of the University of Paris where it meets Antoine Veil, future tax inspector, that it marries the October 26th 1946. They have three wire, including one brutally disappeared and another, Jean Veil business lawyer.

Provided with its license and its diploma of the IEP, it gives up the lawyer career who it had planned to enter the magistrature where it carries out its career until May 1974.

It becomes then, after the election of Valery Giscard d'Estaing to the presidency of the Republic, Minister for Health in the government directed by Jacques Chirac, station which it preserves under the successive governments of Raymond Barre until July 1979.

For this reason, it is project superintendent of the adoption by the Parliament of the bill on the Voluntary interruption of pregnancy (IVG), which dépénalise the Avortement, text which between in force the January 17th 1975. It becomes, and the remainder a long time, the most popular political personality of France.

In June - July 1979, it leaves the government to lead, at the request of Valery Giscard d'Estaing, the list Union for the French democracy (UDF) at the time of the first European elections by the vote for all. Thanks to the victory of the centrist party, it becomes the first president of the the European Parliament (the July 19th 1979), function occupied until the beginning of the year 1982 (tacit agreement between the groups of “revolving” presidency to semi-mandate).

In 1984, with Jacques Chirac, it imposes on the opposition a single list to the European elections. Its list obtains, on June 17th, 1984, more than 43% of the voices.

In March 1993, it is named minister of state, Minister for the Social Affairs, Health and the City in the government directed by Edouard Balladur, function which it preserves until in May 1995.

Installation of the CAP for the foreign doctors working in France (PADHUE).

It is then member of the High council to integration.

It is named member of the Constitutional council in March 1998, its coming mandate in the term in March 2007.

In 2005, it invites to vote “yes” with the Référendum on the European constitution of May 29th, causing a polemic on the compatibility of its engagement and its presence at the Constitutional council.

It is in addition president of honor of the Fondation for the memory of Shoah.

In spite of her popularity, Simone Veil counts also certain detractors among the opponents with the Avortement.

It is member of the Board of directors of IFRI, the French Institute of international relations.

The March 8th 2007, at the time of the Day of the Woman and just released from its duty of reserve related to its mandate of member of the Constitutional council, it announces his decision to support Nicolas Sarkozy with the presidential election of 2007, without to become president of its support group, as that had been considered. However, that does not prevent it from keeping its independence of judgment and, the advertisement of the creation of a ministry for Immigration and National identity by the candidate of the UMP if it would be elected, she answers that she would have preferred a ministry " immigration and of Intégration". “I did not like this very ambiguous formula at all” , declares it in an interview with the newspaper Marianne . Adding that this idea was “more serious” than a “imprudence” , in an interview with the monthly magazine Jewish Tribune of April 2007. Its support for N.Sarkozy however is not called into question, as many the critics testify some addressed to the center candidate UDF F.Bayrou: " Bayrou represents only him-même" in Le Figaro, March 8th, 2007, as well as the continuation of the interview, in which she declares: “Nicolas is nice. He can be brutal in his expression but people are wrong to doubt its humanity. It is a faithful friend. For me, it is important. When a president is chosen, one wants of somebody who has these qualities. It is not always the case.”

Mid-April 2007, Simone Veil publicly admitted having received many marks of disavowal or antipathy related to her choice for the presidential election.

Governmental functions

• of the May 7th 1974 with the March 29th 1977: Minister for Health.
• of the March 29th 1977 with the April 3rd 1978: Minister for Health and the Social security.
• of the April 3rd 1978 with the July 4th 1979: Minister for Health and the Family.
• of the March 31st 1993 with the May 16th 1995: minister of state, of the social Affairs, Health and the City.

Other functions

• Mars 1998 - March 2007: member of the Constitutional council.

Electoral mandates

• of (19) June 1979 in June 1984: appointed with the the European Parliament, mandate during which it ensured, during half of the period (July 1979 with January 1982), functions of president of the European Parliament.

Quotation

• “ One understands that, for a certain number of people, there exists a case of conscience vis-a-vis this practice. It is an ethical question and not only one medical gesture. The only thing that I had negotiated with the Church was not to force the doctors. It is a point to be maintained, because one can oblige nobody to go against his convictions. It is increasingly obvious scientifically that, as of the design, it is about an living being. ””