In a comprehensive and analytical op-ed published by the French newspaper “La Tribune Dimanche“, French parliamentarians Philippe Gosselin, Christine Arrighi, and André Chassaigne outlined a strategic vision for the future of Iran on behalf of nine current and former lawmakers from the Parliamentary Committee for a Democratic Iran (CPID). The authors asserted that ending the dictatorship of the “Velayat-e-Faqih” will not be achieved through foreign wars or interventions, but by supporting the organized democratic opposition. They issued a stark warning against attempts to impose artificial coalitions from abroad, strongly criticizing the exclusionary stances of the pro-Shah faction, which they argued threaten to tear Iran’s social fabric apart.
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The Failure of Appeasement and Foreign Wars
The French parliamentarians noted that the Iranian people—led by courageous citizens facing down a theocracy, resilient women challenging institutionalized misogyny, and resistance fighters enduring domestic repression and foreign bombs—have been defying one of the most obscurantist regimes of our time for nearly five decades.
The lawmakers stressed that neither the policy of “appeasement” succeeded in changing the sectarian nature of the ruling clerics, nor have recent wars and bombings brought about radical transformation. Even in its weakened state, the regime continues its reckless flight forward. Therefore, the authors concluded that the solution rests entirely in the hands of the Iranian people in all their diversity. They emphasized that dialogue must be held with the true representatives of the people, not with the dictatorial regime.
The Ten-Point Plan: National Consensus vs. Pro-Shah Exclusion
The op-ed delved into the political dynamics of the opposition, affirming that the “Ten-Point Plan” proposed by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) is increasingly uniting Iran’s pluralistic political forces. A crucial element of this plan is its recognition of autonomy for Iranian Kurdistan, as well as for other components of Iran such as the Baluchis and Arabs, serving as a powerful catalyst for “national reconciliation.”
In sharp contrast, the lawmakers explicitly criticized the pro-Shah faction, pointing out that by labeling ethnic components aspiring to political and cultural autonomy as “separatists,” this faction is paving a direct path to future civil conflicts.
The parliamentarians also praised other core tenets of the NCRI’s program, which include the separation of religion and state, gender equality, and the abolition of the death penalty. They highlighted that the transitional period envisioned by the NCRI is limited to no more than six months, further reinforcing the democratic credibility of the plan.
The Price of Blood and Systematic Executions
The article pointed out that the “Velayat-e-Faqih” regime fully grasps the danger posed by this democratic coalition, which is why it constantly subjects it to demonization and defamation campaigns—some of which occasionally echo in France. Alongside media smears, the regime continues its physical elimination tactics; over the past four decades, it has executed tens of thousands of members and sympathizers of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
The lawmakers drew attention to the most recent atrocities, citing the executions of four PMOI activists—Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, Mohammad Taghavi, and Akbar Daneshvarkar—who were hanged in Tehran in the final days of March 2026. They added that, by the Iranian judiciary’s own admission, many other PMOI activists are currently on death row.
A Call for an Inclusive Democratic Front
Concluding their op-ed, and against the backdrop of the dramatic tragedies the Iranian people are enduring—marked by thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of arrests, and an overwhelming war—the nine signatory parliamentarians called for the unity of all democratic components of the Iranian opposition. They urged the formation of an inclusive framework dedicated to establishing a secular, democratic republic in Iran. They firmly rejected any positions that serve the interests of an authoritarian regime, declaring that the Iranian people alone aspire to freedom, democracy, and sovereignty, and no one has the right to falsely claim to speak on their behalf.
