Iraq's New Government Takes Office as Citizens Expect Action on Long-Standing Reforms

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's political leadership has shifted from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani's government to a new cabinet headed by Ali al-Zeydi, with officials emphasizing continuity and the completion of unfinished projects. The transition comes after more than two decades of successive governments that arrived with pledges to combat corruption, implement administrative reforms, develop infrastructure and improve living conditions. Citizens say those same files have been passed from one administration to the next without producing concrete results. Residents say they want improved public services, expanded employment opportunities, a stronger economy and more efficient state institutions, regardless of whether relations between current and former officials are cooperative or tense. Al-Zeydi's government faces the task of addressing files that have remained unresolved, including anti-corruption efforts, administrative reform, infrastructure development and the broader improvement of daily life for ordinary Iraqis. Observers note the new cabinet's primary challenge lies not in managing its relationship with previous administrations, but in achieving what its predecessors could not and demonstrating that new leadership can deliver meaningful change.