Spotlight Europe # 2010/03. Elections in Iraq: The impact on U.S.-EU cooperation
Iraqi voters are electing a new parliament on 7 March. Six electoral alliances from among almost 300 political groups are considered to have the best chances of dividing up the 325 parliamentary seats between them.
Laurie Dundon and Christian-Peter Hanelt of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, the authors of our current "Spotlight Europe", look at the elections from an American-European perspective. They analyse the internal situation in Iraq, and emphasize that the EU and the US need to work together in order to help Iraq to develop into a stable country.
The proposals range from joint training schemes for the civil service, police and army to regional water management and a new kind of regional diplomacy. In the process it becomes clear that the West can put forward certain proposals, but cannot do everything itself. The authors believe that much will depend on "the extent to which Iraq's neighbours support its quest more security and stability."
№3(42), 2010