Přehled o publikaci

Richard Klauber, an intern at the Prague Center for Middle East Relations (PCMR) at CEVRO University, has published a policy paper entitled “Post-election Iraq: Key political and security challenges.” The parliamentary elections in Iraq in November 2025 marked the start of a new phase in the country’s political development, though this was significantly influenced by the ongoing rivalry between the United States and Iran, as well as persistent domestic political fragmentation. Although the elections resulted in a victory for the Shia Coordination Framework (SCF), the subsequent negotiations on forming a government, the change in the office of Prime Minister, and growing geopolitical tensions have shown that Iraq’s political stability remains extremely fragile. This policy paper analyses the key political and security challenges facing Iraq in the wake of the elections. It focuses on post-election negotiations between the main Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish actors, the future of the pro-Iranian Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militias, the gradual withdrawal of US troops, and the impact of US-Iranian rivalry on Iraqi foreign policy. The analysis also covers issues such as corruption, the functioning of the power-sharing system (muhasasa ta’ifiyya), relations between Baghdad and Kurdistan, and the persistent threats posed by the remnants of ISIS. The analysis concludes that Iraq’s future stability will depend primarily on the ability of the new political leadership to balance rivalry between Washington and Tehran, limit the influence of armed non-state actors, and strengthen state institutions. Although there were some positive signs following the elections – notably a higher turnout and a greater emphasis on institutional solutions to political disputes – Iraq continues to face deep-rooted problems linked to clientelism, corruption, security threats, and weak institutional continuity.