"Europe – Simone Veil": metro station renamed in tribute to the first president of the European Parliament

RATP and Ile-de-France Mobilités wanted to rename the station Europe in tribute to Simone Veil, a woman who upheld the values of human beings, peace and Europe throughout her career.

The first President of the European Parliament elected by universal suffrage in 1979, Simone Veil became the first woman to head a European institution. In the context of her duties, she worked hard for Franco-German reconciliation and the construction of Europe , in which she was strongly committed.

The RATP has also set up a video programme dedicated to Simone Veil in the "Europe – Simone Veil" station. This video will allow travellers to discover or rediscover a moving testimony of this emblematic personality, centred on his emotional, historical and political link to the construction of Europe.

"I decided to associate Simone Veil's name with the Europe metro station, in agreement with her family, because she was an eminent figure from the Ile-de-France region, French and European, who marked us all with her courage and commitment. By being only the 7th woman to give her name to a Paris metro station, she continues her feminist fight. ", said Valérie Pécresse, President of the Île-de-France Region and Île-de-France Mobilités.

"Simone Veil is an exceptional woman who has carried European values loud and clear, and in particular the ideal of peace. RATP is very happy and very proud to give its name to the Europe station: what better symbol than to make these two names inseparable for passengers," said Catherine Guillouard, President and CEO of RATP.

The change of name of a station is a rare operation on the network, especially for a personality who died recently. The Europe station, christened in 1904, was refurbished in 2000 to celebrate the centenary of the Paris metro. Since then, the station's platforms, equipped with 8 screens, have allowed passengers to discover video creations highlighting the diversity of cultures, lifestyles, landscapes, as well as contemporary creation within the European Union.