Macron backs Iraq’s PM-designate Ali al-Zaidi

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday welcomed the designation of Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi, describing the task of forming a new government as a “crucial mission” amid a “particularly demanding” regional context.

Je me suis entretenu avec Ali Zaydi, Premier ministre chargé de former le prochain gouvernement irakien. Je l’ai félicité pour sa nomination et lui ai adressé tous mes vœux de réussite dans cette mission décisive pour l’avenir de l’Irak,…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 3, 2026

Al-Zaidi’s nomination follows weeks of deadlock within the Shiite Coordination Framework, the largest bloc in parliament, which holds about 162 of parliament’s 329 seats, after outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and former premier Nouri al-Maliki withdrew from the race.

Read more: Ali al-Zaidi named Iraq's prime minister

Macron also stressed the need for swift results in the investigation into the attack that killed and injured several French soldiers on March 12 in the Kurdistan Region during the Iran-US-Israel war, emphasizing that a stable, sovereign Iraq that is in control of its destiny is “essential for the security of the Middle East as well as Europe.”