Georges-Louis Bouchez calls for Prince Reza Pahlavi to be invited to the Belgian parliament

The French-speaking liberal party Mouvement Réformateur (MR), led by Georges-Louis Bouchez, a member of Belgium's federal parliament, has called for Prince Reza Pahlavi to be invited to the Belgian parliament. The request was raised on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, at the Conference of Presidents of Belgium's Chamber of Representatives, the body that sets the chamber's agenda.

According to informed sources in the Belgian parliament, because of the sensitivity of the matter, the Belgian Foreign Ministry's opinion will be sought before any decision. If the invitation is approved, Prince Reza Pahlavi could address the Belgian parliament. No date has yet been set for the Foreign Ministry to give its view.

Bouchez meets Prince Reza Pahlavi in Paris

Georges-Louis Bouchez met Prince Reza Pahlavi in Paris in late July this year. After the meeting, Bouchez said Belgian diplomacy must engage with Prince Reza Pahlavi, the prominent figure of the Islamic Republic's opposition in exile, and announced that Bouchez would invite the Prince to Brussels. Bouchez also said more opposition groups to the Islamic Republic are gathering around Prince Reza Pahlavi.

Alongside the invitation, the MR is calling for the expulsion of the Islamic Republic's ambassador from Belgium and the severing of diplomatic relations with that government. The party has also called for the cancellation of the prisoner transfer treaty between Belgium and the Islamic Republic, the treaty that earlier led to the release of Assadollah Assadi, a diplomat convicted of plotting a bombing at an opposition gathering in France. A bill to that effect has been submitted to Belgium's Chamber of Representatives by Daniel Bacquelaine, an MR member. Last February–March, Bouchez also took part in the large march of Iranians in Brussels in support of the people of Iran.

Prince Reza Pahlavi's earlier presence in the Belgian parliament

Prince Reza Pahlavi had previously met members of different Belgian parties at the Belgian parliament in February–March 2023, during his European tour following the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising. He has repeatedly said he is ready to lead the transition period after the collapse of the Islamic Republic.

The proposal to invite the Prince to the Belgian parliament comes as support for Prince Reza Pahlavi is growing in Europe, including the award of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's 2026 Freedom Prize to the people of Iran, to be received by Prince Reza Pahlavi, which is due to take place in Frankfurt on 7 November. At the same time, his team is explaining the transition plan at European meetings; Saeed Ghasseminejad in Düsseldorf spoke of at least four elections in Prince Reza Pahlavi's transition plan.

Georges-Louis Bouchez's party has put a formal invitation to Prince Reza Pahlavi to the Belgian parliament on the chamber's agenda.