A Life

Veil, Simoen
Veil, the former French politician who became first President of the European Union, was born Simone Jacob in 1927.

Simone Veil was a French politician who became the fist President of the European Union. In her long-awaited memoir, she described in vivid detail a time of happiness and innocence spent in Nice where she grew up. This happy time came to an abrupt end in 1944 when at the age of 17 her family was deported to the camps. Her mother, father and brother all died in captivity. With undeterred resolve, she studied law and political science and became Minister of Health in the government of Jacques Chirac where her hardest political fight was to introduce the law to legalise abortion. She was elected the fist President of the European Parliament and returned to French government as Minister for Social Affairs. One of France's most beloved political figures, Simone Veil was widely admired for her personal and political courage. A Lifeis a sincere and candid account of an extraordinary life and career, reflection her humanity and determination to improve social standards and maintain economical and political stability in Europe. Simone Veil died in June 2017 at the age of 89. President Macron announced after her death that Simone Veil would rest in the Panthéon, alongside Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, Émile Zola, Voltaire and Rousseau.