Statue de Simone Veil

The golden statue of Simone Veil standing before you is part of a collection that emerged from the Seine during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. These ten monumental sculptures were designed for a segment titled Sorority, which paid tribute to women who helped shape French history. Each figure is crafted from durable polymer resin and finished in a striking gold that catches the light along this pedestrian promenade. Simone Veil herself was a Holocaust survivor who became a pivotal figure in French politics and law. As Minister of Health in 1974, she fought a deeply personal and public battle to legalize abortion, a landmark achievement that solidified her role as a champion of women's rights. She also served as the first elected president of the European Parliament. Her legacy is marked by her resilience, having survived the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen as a teenager before rising to the highest levels of national leadership. In 2018, her remains were interred in the Panthéon, the mausoleum reserved for the most honored citizens of France. TOPIC_DONE