Context and Scenarios after the Referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan’s Independence
Context and Scenarios after the Referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan’s Independence

Author(s): Patrycja Sasnal
Subject(s): Politics, Governance, Public Administration, Public Law, Geopolitics, Corruption - Transparency - Anti-Corruption
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: Iraq; Kurds; independence; Middle East
Summary/Abstract: Regardless of whether the referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence takes place as planned on 25 September, its result is known: most Iraqi Kurds will vote in favour of independence. Depending on how the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) uses the result, a negative scenario—the outbreak of violence and further disintegration of Iraq—is still more probable than a positive one that would lead to incremental, peaceful negotiations with the central authorities in Baghdad on greater Kurdish independence. The pressure from regional allies of the Kurds, the U.S., EU, and the UN, seems to be intense enough to stop the Iraqi Kurds from unilaterally declaring independence even if they go ahead with the referendum.

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