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André Chassaigne, President of the GDR group in the French National Assembly and French Communist Party leader, met with Maryam Rajavi on January 29, 2025
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After nearly a quarter of a century in the French National Assembly, André Chassaigne is stepping away from the political stage—but his fight for justice persists, his voice echoing beyond the parliamentary chamber.
On March 25, 2025, Chassaigne, the President of the Democratic and Republican Left Group (GDR) and head of the Parliamentary Committee for a Democratic Iran (CPID), made his final appearance in the Assembly. It was a moment painted with admiration and sincerity, as standing ovations came not only from his political allies but from those who often found themselves on the other side of his resolute ideals.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou, paying tribute to Chassaigne’s decades of service, expressed his appreciation: “You were a face that carried the honor of our Republic. Your deep roots in the soil of our nation have provided a unique perspective that we valued deeply.” The sentiment was genuine, acknowledging Chassaigne’s ability to blend principles with persistence.
Mercredi 17 mai à @AssembleeNat la présidente & les membres du Comité Parlementaire pour un #Iran Démocratique CPID @Cecile_Rilhac @AndreChassaigne @hsaulignac @phgosselin accueillent @Maryam_Rajavi_F avec la VP du Sénat @laurossignol & @AttiasDominique pour une table-ronde pic.twitter.com/90ogBjirqi
— Behzad Naziri (@BehzadNaziri) May 22, 2023
But what truly sets Chassaigne apart is his unwavering solidarity with the Iranian Resistance. Over the years, he has been more than a distant supporter. For decades, he stood shoulder to shoulder with those fighting for a free Iran, lending his voice to a struggle that many in the political establishment preferred to ignore.
In his tireless advocacy for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), Chassaigne established himself as a rare breed of politician—one who recognized that his platform was not meant to echo the comfortable consensus but to challenge the silence surrounding injustice.
During a May 2024 conference at the National Assembly, he declared: “What we truly need, what holds significance for us, and what we can offer to the Iranian Resistance is to show, articulate, and raise awareness about the existence of a political alternative within this movement.”
MP @AndreChassaigne: "We were justified in aligning ourselves with the positions of the NCRI and the Ten-Point Plan of its president, Mrs. @Maryam_Rajavi, for a democratic Iran. It was not a mistake to assert that the resolution to all threats from #Iran against Europe and our… pic.twitter.com/ZUh3HOhFSN
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 2, 2024
Those words were not empty rhetoric. Chassaigne’s activism was backed by action. He helped pass resolutions, organized conferences, and rallied fellow lawmakers to sign petitions supporting the NCRI’s Ten-Point Plan for a free, democratic, non-nuclear Iran. In June 2023, under his leadership, a statement signed by 294 deputies and 76 senators emerged—a groundbreaking gesture of solidarity and an unambiguous message to Tehran.
Chassaigne’s dedication extended beyond the ceremonial. During a Paris conference in November 2024, he acknowledged the courage of Resistance Units operating within Iran, stressing their critical role: “If the anger and revolutionary momentum continue in this society despite the repression, we owe it a lot to the Resistance Units formed for several years inside the country by the organized opposition, the MEK.”
Lorsque @MonaJafarian s'occupait de ses affaires!!!, des personnes intègres comme @AndreChassaigne défendaient la résistance et le plan en dix points de Mme Radjavi depuis plus de 15 ans et engagé pour un #Iran démocratique et laïque pic.twitter.com/t7CfnfW3Ob
— Ali Momen (@AliMomen_) July 20, 2024
With his departure from the National Assembly, it would be easy to assume his voice might fade. Yet Chassaigne’s influence lingers. His commitment to justice remains steadfast, and he continues his work as Deputy Mayor of Saint-Amant-Roche-Savine. To those who know him, this is no farewell—only a transition.
Chassaigne’s legacy speaks to something deeper than politics: a belief that moral clarity must not be sacrificed for convenience. His voice remains a call to action, an appeal to conscience that, even outside Parliament, resonates with the force of unyielding conviction. And as he leaves the Assembly, he leaves behind a new generation of lawmakers inspired by his example—those ready to continue the fight for justice, democracy, and human rights, including the cause of a free Iran.