Simone Veil , newly elected President of the European Parliament , during the first session of the first directly-elected European Parliament . 17 July 1979 | © Communautés européennes 1979
budget , Simone Veil went against her own government ’ s position and managed to secure financial aid to combat hunger in Africa . Issues of human rights and women ’ s rights would be at the heart of many of her journeys around the world .
It was not only Veil ’ s renown but also her aura that enabled her to make the European Parliament shine at a time when it still seemed lacklustre and niche . She played a major role in giving the European Parliament its fully international dimension . Simone Veil proudly upheld the values of a democratic Europe wherever she went . First as European Parliament President , then for over ten years as an MEP , she met most of the great heads of state , including Anwar Sadat , Nelson Mandela , Margaret Thatcher , Bill and Hillary Clinton and Václav Havel .
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