iAntonio TAJANI, EP President, opens the EP plenary session (3-6 July 2017) in Strasbourg and MEPs make one minute of silence in honour of Simone VEIL, former EP President.

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

Strasbourg

plenary session

speech

VEIL, Simone (LDR, FR)

Introductory remarks by Antonio TAJANI, EP President - Minute of silence in honour of Simone VEIL

Arrival of Antonio TAJANI, EP President in the Hemicycle.

SOUNDBITE (French), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Dear colleagues, I would like to begin this part-session with a thought full of gratitude and emotion to Simone Veil. A great figure of our era, who marked the history of Europe and made a fundamental contribution to the development of our Parliament. Simone Veil belongs to the generation of great minds as did Helmut Kohl, who left us a few days ago. They both belonged to this category. The first President of this directly elected Parliament, Simone Veil shepherded the young Parliament on its first steps pulling it in the right directions and laying the basis for its subsequent evolution and development. She always wanted a political Parliament and this is what she said in her speech as President of the Parliament, ''The voice of our Assembly, strong with its direct mandate can speak out to everyone and make its voice heard at the highest level of decision making.''

SOUNDBITE (French), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, We have a great debt of gratitude to this woman and we will honour her tomorrow in this Hemicycle. I would ask you all to join me for a minute of silence on her behalf. Thank you.