Simone Veil (* 13 July 1927 in Nice; † 30 June 2017 in Paris) was a French politician and Holocaust survivor. From 1979 until 1993 she was a member of the European Parliament, and from 1979 until 1982 she was its president. Photo: La Libre, Collage: KGS/IAK Berlin
Commenting on the results of the first round of the parliamentary elections in France, Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice-President of the International Auschwitz Committee, stressed:
"France, as a cornerstone of democracy in Europe, is in danger of being dominated and ruled by far-right extremists. This is a disturbing and alarming outlook for all democrats in Europe, but especially for survivors of the German concentration and extermination camps.
For Simone Veil, the French-Jewish Auschwitz survivor and great European who died in 2017, the passing on of memories and the protection of democracy were the key prerequisites for protecting France and Europe from new darkness and far-right disruptions. Simone Veil's voice is echoing very loudly in France and in Europe, especially these days."