10 Elections. A history of the European Parliament at the ballot box (1979-2024) June 2024 | Page 68

The list led by Jacques Chirac received only 16.09 % of the votes cast , while the list headed by Simone Veil won 27.39 % of votes 17 . She led the list of France ’ s then-governing party , which fared better than the RPR , whose results made it one of Gaullism ’ s poorest performances . However , in France , as was the case in the United Kingdom and Denmark , there was no shortage of debate due to the strong opposition ( of the Communist Party and the RPR ) to direct elections and the construction of a political Europe .
Louise Weiss then took her seat in Strasbourg in the group of European Progressive Democrats ( DEP ) and on 17 July 1979 , the date of Parliament ’ s opening sitting , she was one of 67 women Members elected , some of whom had already been Members of the European Parliamentary Assembly . Following the first direct elections , 16.3 % of the European Parliament ’ s Members were women , nine of whom were already sitting Members and were given a direct mandate from voters 18 . Louise Weiss , as has been described , was President of the European Parliament for one day , 17 July 1979 , during which she handed over the Presidency to Simone Veil , who served as President until 18 January 1982 .
During her term as a Member of the European Parliament , her main addresses focused on the Soviet Union ’ s intervention in Afghanistan , world hunger , human rights violations and Strasbourg ’ s European vocation .
She was a member of the Committee on Youth , Culture , Education , the Media and Sport . Its main aim was to give the European
17 . The list led by François Mitterrand ( Socialist Party and the Movement of the Left Radicals ) received 23.73 % of votes , while the PCF list , headed by Georges Marchais , received 20.59 %.
18 . Towards direct elections to the European Parliament , CARDOC journals , European Parliament , special edition , March 2009 .
68