into the government in 1974 , she became the most popular political figure in France and was also admired beyond the country ’ s borders . Veil was both the embodiment of the worst suffering that Europe ’ s 20th century wars could have inflicted and the personification of resilience . It is impossible to imagine a more powerful symbol of Franco-German reconciliation than her election as President of the European Parliament .
In September 1978 , Giscard asked Veil , who was still his Minister of Health , to head the list of the party in government ( the Union for French Democracy ) for the European elections .
When Veil was put forward as a candidate , she had never been registered with a political party , had never been elected into office and had never taken part in an election campaign . She hated the
Poster with Simone Veil for European elections , May 1979 , Paris . | © AGIP / Bridgeman Images
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