Why Iraq’s 2025 Elections Matter

With Iraq’s election approaching, campaign rhetoric is sliding back into old patterns of fear and division. This episode unpacks how some parties are appealing to identity and insecurity to win votes, and what this reveals about the country’s unresolved questions of governance and power-sharing.

As Iraq heads toward pivotal parliamentary elections this November, the outcome could reshape power dynamics in Baghdad. The Iraqi Voices team unpack why these elections are so consequential and what’s at stake for Iraq’s stability and democratic consolidation.

Iraqi Voices returns after a three-year hiatus. Hassan Hadad, Muhammad Al-Waeli, Ali Al-Mawlawi and Hamzeh Hadad discuss how sustained political calm has translated into a stability dividend and examine what steps are needed to secure long-term prosperity.

Iraqi Voices hosts political analysts Lahib Hagel and Omar Al-Nidawi once again, a year after they joined the podcast to analyse the 2021 early elections, to deconstruct the political developments of the last 12 months and discuss the direction Iraq is headed in

Analysts Muhammad Al-Waeli, Ali Al-Mawlawi and Hamzeh Hadad discuss the latest political developments in Iraq including this week's violence between rival parties that led to tens of deaths in the heart of Baghdad.

Analysts Muhammad Al-Waeli, Ali Al-Mawlawi and Hamzeh Hadad discuss the latest political developments in Iraq including the Sadrist withdrawal from parliament and the struggle over political and religious leadership.

The makers of Iraqi Voices mark six months since the 2021 Iraqi election with a discussion about the key developments and milestones including the political impasse, Supreme Court rulings and more.

On International Women's Day, we discuss developments regarding Iraqi women's rights and Iraq's place in the global Women, Peace & Security agenda with Dr. Yasmin Chilmeran, a postdoctoral fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and an expert on gender and civil society in post-conflict settings.

Dr. Shamiran Mako, assistant professor at the Pardee School of Global Affairs at Boston University, discusses statebuilding in post-2003 Iraq and how legacies of exclusion continue to shape politics today.

Former Member of Parliament Sarkawt Shamsulddin provides unique insights into how Iraq's Parliament really functions, offering anecdotes from his personal interactions with leading powerbrokers, and explains why he thinks young Iraqis need to engage in politics.