
From shock and awe to stability and flaws: Iraq’s post-invasion journey
Post-invasion Iraq has proven resilient in the face of many challenges – but problems remain that Europeans could assist with resolving
Visiting Fellow
Iraqi politics; Iraqi foreign policy; democratisation in Iraq; federalism; international development
English, Arabic
Hamzeh Hadad is a visiting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Hadad is a researcher and political analyst based in Baghdad. His research focus is democratisation and federalism in Iraq. He has published in and been cited by various media on Iraqi political affairs. In 2021, Hadad was an advisor to the president of the Trade Bank of Iraq. Prior to that, he was the development officer at the German Embassy in Baghdad for two years. He holds an MA in international affairs, specialising in international development policy, from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in Ottawa.
Post-invasion Iraq has proven resilient in the face of many challenges – but problems remain that Europeans could assist with resolving
Iraq’s new prime minister is well placed to negotiate both the pitfalls of domestic politics and to play a mediating role within the Middle East
Europeans should avoid supporting a snap election simply because a political leader is unsatisfied with the result of a government formation process and threatens violence in response
Iraqi leaders’ inability to form a government or deal with national challenges is destroying the legitimacy of the state. They need to appoint a new type of prime minister.
Much of Iraq’s post-war history has been a question of survival of the state. Now, Shia politicians are driving an intra-sect competition for leadership.
Iraq’s recent election upended the informal political agreement that had dominated its politics since 2003. European countries should press Iraqi leaders to break the current deadlock in parliament.
Post-invasion Iraq has proven resilient in the face of many challenges – but problems remain that Europeans could assist with resolving
Iraq’s new prime minister is well placed to negotiate both the pitfalls of domestic politics and to play a mediating role within the Middle East
Europeans should avoid supporting a snap election simply because a political leader is unsatisfied with the result of a government formation process and threatens violence in response
Iraqi leaders’ inability to form a government or deal with national challenges is destroying the legitimacy of the state. They need to appoint a new type of prime minister.
Much of Iraq’s post-war history has been a question of survival of the state. Now, Shia politicians are driving an intra-sect competition for leadership.
Iraq’s recent election upended the informal political agreement that had dominated its politics since 2003. European countries should press Iraqi leaders to break the current deadlock in parliament.