Hamzeh Hadad

The 2025 Iraqi Election: Will Sudani Serve a Second Term? On November 11, 2025, Iraqis voted in their seventh parliamentary election since the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003. According to the Iraqi High Electoral Commission, the election saw a turnout of 56 percent, markedly higher than the previous two elections. Although the results have yet to be confirmed by the judiciary, no party has emerged with a […]

Hamzeh Hadad argues that #Iraq’s November 2025 elections are likely to yield another broad coalition government, with Shia parties once again determining the next prime minister. https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-2025-iraqi-election-will-sudani-serve-a-second-term/

The 2025 Iraqi Election: Will Sudani Serve a Second Term? On November 11, 2025, Iraqis voted in their seventh parliamentary election since the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003. According to the Iraqi High Electoral Commission, the election saw a tur...

The 2025 Iraqi Election: Will Sudani Serve a Second Term?

My latest analysis on the upcoming government formation for the @arabcenterdc.org

arabcenterdc.org/resource/the...

This paper delves into the relationship between the religious establishment in Najaf and paramilitary groups in Iraq today, but I also explain how the phenomenon of paramilitary groups is not a new one in Iraq, and has been present since the late 1950s.

Iraq ’s Foreign Policy – Between Domestic Fragmentation and the Search for National Sovereignty Single title

Happy to share that my paper, "The Religious De-Legitimization of Non-State Actors in Iraq", has been published by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in a series on non-state actors in Iraq. www.kas.de/en/web/jorda...

There was a lot spent this election by the likes of Sudani and Mandalawi, but it is reassuring that money does not always correlate with seats. Especially since many Iraqis raised concern of instances of attempted vote buying during the election campaign.

Deputy Speaker Muhsin Al-Mandalawi is another who spent considerably this election and it resulted only in eight seats. Compare that to newly established political party Ishraqat Kanoon, that also got eight seats, building on the six seats they won in the last election.

It is interesting to note that Sudani only got four more seats in 2025 than Abadi did in 2018, despite spending a lot more during his campaign. Tougher to compare these elections to 2021, which were an outlier because Kadhimi did not run and the electoral system was different.

After Iraq’s Elections 2025 — What Happens Now? YouTube video by Foundation Max van der Stoel

I had the pleasure of participating in the @fms-foundation.bsky.social’s webinar on Iraqi elections with my colleagues Salman Khairalla & Abdulrahman Al Bo Ragheef. www.youtube.com/live/OCJl_X0...

Why Iraq’s stability demands deeper democratic reforms | Brookings If change is to occur in Iraq, outside actors must press for meaningful reforms through parliamentary opposition.

This piece by two of Iraq's most eminent analysts @marsin.bsky.social and @hamzehhadad.bsky.social is a must-read ahead of Iraq's crucial general elections next week.
www.brookings.edu/articles/why...

Why Iraq’s stability demands deeper democratic reforms | Brookings If change is to occur in Iraq, outside actors must press for meaningful reforms through parliamentary opposition.

As Iraqis head to the polls next week, @marsin.bsky.social and I write for @brookings.edu on the need to raise the bar for democratic performance. www.brookings.edu/articles/why...

Iraqi lessons for Syria’s post-Baathist constitution | Brookings The parallels between Iraq and Syria offer a valuable opportunity for Syria to learn from its eastern neighbor.

@hamzehhadad.bsky.social and @marsin.bsky.social compare Iraq and Syria's experiences of post-Ba'ath constitution-drafting and state-building, advocate for inclusive federalism in Syria: www.brookings.edu/articles/ira...

The Decline of NGOs and the Challenges Iraq Faces - 1001 Iraqi Thoughts

This is a really important piece as we near the end of UNAMI mandate. It sheds light on the current situation of NGOs in Iraq, which have played a major role in Iraqi society for decades.

1001iraqithoughts.com/2025/10/21/t...

Input from Iraqi President Rashid on Iraq’s relative success regarding federalism & advice for Syrians.

Iraqi lessons for Syria’s post-Baathist constitution | Brookings The parallels between Iraq and Syria offer a valuable opportunity for Syria to learn from its eastern neighbor.

My latest piece with @marsin.bsky.social for @brookings.edu on the 20th anniversary of the Iraqi constitution & lessons for Syria, primarily regarding federalism. www.brookings.edu/articles/ira...

Why Iraq’s 2025 Elections Matter Podcast Episode · Iraqi Voices · 17/10/2025 · 30m

Also available on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/w...

Why Iraq’s 2025 Elections Matter

Second episode of Iraqi Voices since our return. We dive deeper into the upcoming elections as we discuss the changes of reverting back to provincial-wide districts & first past the post voting. open.spotify.com/episode/1vYu...

On the 8th anniversary of the passing of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, this passage from the introduction of “Shalash the Iraqi” shows a glimpse of what made him different from his peers.

So glad to see @hamzehhadad.bsky.social and his colleagues back with the Iraqi Voices podcast after a long hiatus! Highly recommend if you're looking for calm, thoughtful conversations about Iraqi politics.

Understanding Iraq's Stability Dividend

🎙️The best podcast on Iraq is back!

Hassan Hadad, @alwaeli.bsky.social, Ali Al-Mawlawi, and @hamzehhadad.bsky.social discuss how sustained political calm has translated into a stability dividend and examine what steps are needed to secure long-term prosperity.

open.spotify.com/episode/3LS5...

Coming from @stanfordpress.bsky.social in the summer of 2026! @lisablaydes.bsky.social and I edited a book "Ba'thist Iraq through Archives" with a star studded list of contributors!

There are plenty of lessons to learn from Iraq in how to implement federalism, but claiming it’s a failure as Sharaa has done in the past is just false.

Regarding Iraq this is simply not true. Iraq’s Kurdistan region has had semi-autonomy since 1991 & constitutionally recognized as a federal region. How would a Kurdish region in Syria put Iraq at risk?

“He warned that any effort aimed at preserving the SDF’s structure as is, would ‘put the region at great risk and may lead to a large-scale war’ and could also ‘put Iraq and Turkey at great risk, as well as the Syrian state.’” www.rudaw.net/english/midd...

The Quiet Demise of Jordan’s Political Space | Journal of Democracy In the shadow of Gaza’s destruction, the Jordanian regime has quietly repressed one of the main sources of the country’s political activism.

I wrote a piece for @jodemocracy.bsky.social on a little-noticed court decision last week to effectively permanently outlaw Jordan’s teacher’s union
www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclu...

My latest for @ecfr looks at efforts to find 100s of 1000s of Iraqis who are missing.Many are believed to be in mass graves. #Iraq has so many mass graves it has a specialized directorate. It even has a Mass Graves Day.Every number is a person who was part of a family that is integral to a community

Now that I am back to posting on here. Important to flag down this brilliant paper by @raniaab.bsky.social for @ecfrmena.bsky.social.

Unearthing the past: Iraq’s mass graves and the quest for justice A European-backed UN body explored mass graves in Iraq between 2018 and 2024, supporting steps towards justice and reconciliation—and providing wider lessons for the region…

Unearthing the past: Iraq’s mass graves and the quest for justice: ecfr.eu/publication/...

As the regional conflict spreads, this paper from IISS explains how Iraq has managed to stay out of it for the most part.
www.iiss.org/publications...

Why Iraq gives Syria a hand By welcoming Syria’s new leader – a former Al Qaeda terrorist – Iraq shows a generosity born of its own violent past to lift a neighbor emerging from conflict.

Why Iraq gives Syria a hand
www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/t...

Unpacking Federalism in Iraq: Insights from Basra, Ninawa and Sulaymaniyah In recent years, existential crises – like war and terrorism – have dominated headlines, research, and policy discussions on Iraq. As a result, important topics, like federalism, have often been pushe...

It’s ironic as part of the establishment of a region in Iraqi Kurdistan was to address centralization by Baghdad. Many in Sulaymaniyah over the years have accused Erbil of the same thing.

To read more about this & federalism in Iraq, check out my paper: www.academia.edu/120730929/Un...