In a powerful and moving speech at an international conference in Paris, former British Parliament Speaker John Bercow called for strong international support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) as a democratic alternative to the current Iranian regime. Bercow highlighted the unprecedented vulnerabilities of the Iranian regime, citing Iran’s economic collapse, widespread protests, and a sham election rejected by millions.
On Saturday, January 11, 2025, a transatlantic conference was held in Paris in the presence of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, entitled “New Policy toward the Iranian Regime, Standing with the Organized Resistance,” where many former world leaders and military officials from Europe and the United States presented a new policy toward the Iranian regime in light of recent developments in the Middle East and the role of the organized opposition in Iran.
Bercow described the Iranian regime as “genocidal, aggressive, and horrific,” asserting that it thrives on chaos and repression. “The Iranian regime is at its weakest point we have ever known,” he said. “That weakness is manifested in the worst economic situation any of us can remember, marked by hyperinflation, appalling living standards, terrible want of a kind not known in our own country, and scarcity of the most basic necessities.”
Regarding the Iranian regime’s regional meddling, Bercow pointed to the severe blow that Hezbollah, Iran’s main ally in Lebanon, has received. “The misogynistic mullahs in Tehran are terrified by what has happened to Hezbollah because they have drawn enormous support from Hezbollah, a terrorist and authoritarian proxy for their political desires and goals,” he added.
Regarding the situation in Syria, Bercow stressed that the fall of the Assad regime represents a major blow to the Iranian regime, saying: “And when you see alongside all of that perhaps the most important event of all, which is the fall of the Assad regime, you realize that there is an opportunity, there is a possibility, there is a possibility, there is an imaginable direction for freedom to march, freedom triumphs, freedom prevails.”
Bercow was highly critical of Western policies of appeasement towards Iran, saying: “Appeasement simply does not work. Being nice to dictators is not an exercise of influence, it is a show of weakness.” He added: “At the time of the War Cabinet in 1939 and up to early May 1940, that government practised and preached the philosophy of appeasement, and it was the late and great Winston Churchill who said of that government that he had observed them on the Treasury Bench, the front bench of the government, and that they seemed determined only to be indecisive. Hard-headed in drift. All power to be powerless and that needed a decisive change, and that was done.”
In his strong endorsement of the NCRI, Bercow said, “This is the alternative. This is a democratic alternative. And more than that, because of its record of selfless resistance and sacrifice, it has tremendous experience, tremendous learning, and is very well organized.” He particularly praised the NCRI’s resistance units, emphasizing that they “emerge from and come from Iranian society, and are intertwined with it because they are part of the country.”
Bercow stressed the importance of international recognition of the National Council of Resistance of Iran as a democratic alternative, saying: “What you are looking for is our acceptance, the acceptance of the international community, global acceptance that there is an alternative and that you yourselves are this democratic alternative, and that there is a road map.”
“We stand together, we stand together, we stand against dictatorship, whether it is from the Shah’s tyranny or today’s mullahs, and we stand for something different, something qualitatively better, something clear, tangible, indisputable and morally superior, and that is called democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law,” Bercow concluded.
This powerful speech by a prominent political figure like John Bercow represents a significant boost to the Iranian opposition and highlights the need for a change in international policy towards Iran. As developments in the region continue, calls for support for democratic alternatives in Iran appear to be gaining momentum.
In a related context, Berko pointed to the importance of the resistance units of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, saying: “The resistance units, thousands and thousands of them throughout the country, have the best qualities. The fact that they are not imposed, they are not threats, but rather they emerge from and come from Iranian society, they are intertwined with it because they are part of the country, and if the regime dares to remove one, it will replace it with another within minutes, hours or days.”
Bercow stressed the importance of the roadmap presented by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which includes the establishment of a transitional government for a period of six months, followed by free elections to form a legislative council that reflects the will of the Iranian people, and then a two-year term to draft a new constitution that will be put to a referendum by the Iranian people.
Berko concluded his speech by stressing that this plan represents a real and practical alternative to the current regime, calling on the international community to support this democratic alternative and recognize it as a legitimate representative of the Iranian people’s aspirations for freedom and democracy.