Prominent political figures from Europe and North America voiced support for a democratic transition in Iran based on the Ten-Point Plan of Maryam Rajavi.
A group of prominent international political figures expressed support for a democratic transition in Iran during the “Iran at a Crossroads” conference on March 15, highlighting the proposal for a provisional government announced by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Speakers from Europe and North America emphasized that Iran has reached a critical historical moment and argued that the country’s future should be determined by its people through a democratic transition guided by the opposition coalition’s political platform.
Giulio Terzi: Growing Global Support for Democratic Alternative
Opening the conference, Giulio Terzi, Italian senator and former foreign minister of Italy, praised the leadership of Maryam Rajavi and stressed the significance of growing international backing for a democratic alternative to the current system in Iran.
Terzi pointed to a joint declaration signed by more than 1,000 parliamentarians, former heads of state, ministers, and political leaders worldwide supporting the NCRI’s proposed provisional government.
“This unprecedented endorsement reflects a broad cross-party international recognition of a democratic alternative for Iran,” Terzi said. “It underscores a growing global consensus around an organized and legitimate framework for a peaceful transition grounded in the will of the Iranian people.”
He added that the Iranian people have endured decades of repression under the ruling theocracy, arguing that the time has come for a political system reflecting the sovereign will of the population.
Terzi also highlighted the NCRI’s political platform, describing it as a roadmap for a democratic state based on human rights, the rule of law, gender equality, and the separation of religion and state.
John Baird: Change Must Come From the Iranian People
Former Canadian foreign minister John Baird addressed the conference from Canada, praising the courage of Iranian protesters and the organized resistance movement inside the country.
“Experience since 1979 has shown us that appeasement does not work,” Baird said. “It merely prolongs the power of this brutal regime.”
At the same time, he argued that foreign military intervention cannot produce lasting political change. “Foreign military boots on the ground won’t accomplish true regime change,” he said, pointing to experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to Baird, the solution lies in leadership, organization, and a political program capable of mobilizing Iranians to achieve democratic change.
“All of this exists within the NCRI led by a courageous woman, Maryam Rajavi,” he said.
Baird highlighted key elements of Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, including free elections, separation of religion and state, gender equality, minority rights, abolition of the death penalty, and a non-nuclear Iran committed to peaceful coexistence with its neighbors.
He also referred to the proposal for a provisional government with a limited six-month mandate to transfer sovereignty to the Iranian people and organize free elections.
Geir Haarde: Neither Appeasement nor War Is the Solution
Former Icelandic prime minister Geir Haarde argued that both appeasement and military confrontation have proven ineffective in dealing with Iran’s ruling system.
“History proves that appeasement never works,” Haarde said, adding that concessions to authoritarian regimes often strengthen their position.
At the same time, he stressed that war rarely produces sustainable political change. “Military force may be able to topple structures or degrade capabilities, but it rarely produces sustainable political change,” he noted.
Haarde said the political development that deserves greater attention is the NCRI’s announcement of a provisional government for a post-theocratic Iran based on Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.
“The fall of this regime is no longer a question of if, but when,” he said, urging the international community to recognize the opposition coalition’s transitional framework.
He also expressed concern that the Iranian democratic opposition receives limited coverage in international media outlets.
Dutch Senator Highlights Iranian Protest Movement
Dutch senator Frans Van Knapen praised the courage of the Iranian population, pointing to years of protests across the country.
“The Iranian population shows remarkable courage,” he said, referring to waves of demonstrations since 2017 and renewed protests in 2026.
Van Knapen described the NCRI’s proposal for a provisional government as an important step toward democratic change, noting that the plan envisions free elections within six months and a political system based on civil liberties, gender equality, and the rule of law.
Guy Verhofstadt: Time for Dialogue With Democratic Opposition
Former Belgian prime minister and member of the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt, described the current moment as a decisive turning point for Iran.
He argued that the ruling system has been responsible for decades of repression inside the country and regional instability through proxy conflicts.
Verhofstadt said Western governments should move beyond commentary on the ongoing crisis and instead open structured political dialogue with the Iranian democratic opposition.
“The best basis to open that structural dialogue is the Ten-Point Plan of Maryam Rajavi,” he said, noting that the plan outlines a democratic transition including a provisional government, free elections, and constitutional safeguards for human rights.
Vision for a Democratic Iran
Throughout the conference, speakers emphasized that Iran’s future should be determined by its citizens rather than imposed from outside.
They argued that the NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan offers a framework for a democratic republic based on popular sovereignty, gender equality, and the rule of law, while rejecting both clerical rule and hereditary monarchy.
Participants also stressed the importance of international engagement with Iran’s democratic opposition as the country moves toward what many described as a decisive moment in its political future.
