Speech of Jean-Luc Romero
Dignity in Dying – London – May 21st

Dear friends,
I am delighted to be at DID’s Annual Meeting today. Thank you for inviting me here to speak.
As was said, I am the president of ADMD-France (Right to die in Dignity – France). ADMD-France was founded in 1980 to get a law of Ultimate Liberty.
Our target : to gain a law in France which will permit the universal access to palliative care and, at the same time, which will legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Now, ADMD-France has more than 50.000 members. I am pleased to say that over 90% of French Citizens are in favor of the law that we want, particularly the young generation and I am happy to be accompanied by the assistant General Secretary of ADMD, Christophe Michel, who is also responsible for the youth commission and the youngest board member, which our society has ever had. He is 26 years old.
I have divided my short presentation into three main parts.

Firstly, a few words about the current French law concerning the End of the Life.
Secondly, the campaigns we have done in France to get the support of the politicians and the reaction from our opponents.
Finally, I’ll tell you what I think - I hope! - will happen in France this autumn.
My presence here, as with Rowena Ironside during our Paris meeting at the Hotel de Ville in January 2013, shows the similarity of our societies and how identical our struggle is.
It is a struggle for human rights, for equality in facing Death, for compassion.
We have a lot to learn from each other. Your sense of organization and your legendary discipline, our frenzy and our near permanent rebellion. Our main difference is that our king has been beheaded and that your queen wears many hats.

Allow me now, after this short introduction, to look at my first point and describe the situation in our country.

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