Born: 1927 (Nice, France)
Died: 2017
Biography:
Simone Veil DBE (French pronunciation: [simɔn vɛj] (listen); née Jacob; 13 July 1927 – 30 June 2017) was a French magistrate, Holocaust survivor, and politician who served as Health Minister in several governments and was President of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1982, the first woman to hold that office. As health minister, she is best remembered for advancing women’s rights in France, in particular for the 1975 law that legalized abortion, today known as Veil Act (French: Loi Veil). From 1998 to 2007, she was a member of the Constitutional Council, France’s highest legal authority.
A Holocaust survivor, of both Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen, Veil was a firm believer in European integration as a way of guaranteeing peace. She served as president of the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah from 2000 to 2007, then subsequently as honorary president. Among many honors, she was made an honorary dame in 1998, was elected to the Académie Française in 2008, and in 2012, received the grand cross of the Légion d’honneur, the highest class of the highest French order of merit.
Simone Jacob was born in Nice, in southeastern France, on 13 July 1927, into an atheist Jewish family. Her father, André Jacob, was an architect who graduated from the Beaux-Arts de Paris and won the Prix de Rome for Architecture. In 1922, he married Yvonne Steinmetz, who had just passed her Baccalaureate and was about to start studying chemistry. André Jacob insisted that she abandon her studies upon marriage. In 1924, the family moved from Paris to Nice, hoping to benefit from construction projects on the Côte d’Azur. Simone was the youngest of four siblings, with Madeleine (nicknamed Milou) born in 1923, Denise in 1924, and Jean in 1925.
On her father’s side, the family had come from Lorraine, and on her mother’s side, from the Rhineland region and Belgium. Her family was openly Jewish but non-practicing. In her autobiography, Veil wrote, Being a member of the Jewish community was never a problem. It was proudly claimed by my father, but for cultural reasons, not religious ones. In his eyes, if the Jewish people were to remain the chosen people, it was because they were the people of the Book, the people of thinking and writing.
When Germany invaded France and the Vichy regime came to power in June 1940, Veil’s family managed to avoid deportation, as Nice had been included in the Italian occupation zone. However, in March 1944, the French Gestapo arrested Simone, her mother, and her two sisters. They were interned in the internment camp at Drancy, near Paris, before being transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
During her time in the concentration camps, Veil endured horrific conditions, including the loss of her father and brother in the Holocaust. However, she and her sisters managed to survive and were eventually transferred to Bergen-Belsen camp, where they were liberated by British forces in April 1945.
After the war, Veil studied law and political science at Sciences Po and the University of Paris, earning degrees in both disciplines. She then embarked on a distinguished legal and political career. In 1956, she became a magistrate and rose through the ranks to become the director of civil affairs in the Ministry of Justice.
In 1974, Veil was appointed Minister of Health by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. During her tenure, she successfully championed the passage of a groundbreaking abortion law. The Veil Act, passed in 1975, allowed for the legal termination of pregnancies in France and granted women reproductive rights that had previously been denied.
In 1979, Veil was elected President of the European Parliament, becoming the first woman to hold that position. She used her platform to advocate for gender equality and women’s rights, as well as for European integration and cooperation. Veil played a significant role in shaping European policies and promoting unity among member states.
After her term as President of the European Parliament, Veil continued her involvement in public service, serving as a member of the French Constitutional Council from 1998 to 2007. She was widely respected for her legal expertise and commitment to upholding the principles of justice and equality.
Throughout her life, Veil remained dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and fighting against discrimination. She served as president of the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah, working to ensure that the atrocities of the past were never forgotten. Her tireless efforts earned her numerous honors and awards, including being made an honorary dame in 1998 and receiving the grand cross of the Légion d’honneur in 2012.
Simone Veil’s legacy as a trailblazer for women’s rights, advocate for European unity, and Holocaust survivor is undeniable. Her courage, resilience, and determination continue to inspire generations of individuals committed to fighting for justice, equality, and a better world.
Awards:
– Honorary Dame (1998)
– Member of the Académie Française (2008)
– Grand Cross of the Légion d’honneur (2012)