Veil, Simone

Veil, Simone,

1927–2017, French politician, b. Simone Jacob. Interned in Nazi concentration camps during World War II because she was Jewish, she became a lawyer and government official. She served (1974–79) as minister of health under French president Valéry Giscard d'EstaingGiscard d'Estaing, Valéry
, 1926–, French political leader, president of France (1974–81); b. Germany. A member of the national assembly at the age of 29, he was deputy finance minister (1959–62) and finance minister (1962–66) in Charles de
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, securing the passage of liberalized contraception (1973) and abortion (1974) laws. Elected to the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament,
an institution of the governing body of the European Union (EU). It convenes on a monthly basis in Strasbourg, France; most meetings of the separate parliamentary committees are held in Brussels, Belgium, and its Secretariat is located in Luxembourg.
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 in 1979, 1984, and 1989, she served (1979–82) as its first popularly elected president. From 1993 to 1995 she was French health and social and urban affairs minister, and from 1998 to 2007 she served on the French Constitutional Council.