DOI: 10.1111/mepo.12572 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Shii-Kurd Relations in Post-2003 Iraq: Visions of Nationalism Elisheva Machlis Dr. Machlis is a senior lecturer in Middle East Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Abstract Regime change in Iraq provided a new opportunity for Shiis and Kurds to create a new power-sharing sys- tem. These two persecuted communities embraced a democratic-federal system based on a combined civic and ethnocultural model. Analyzing this new alliance, this article argues that there were prominent forces within both communities that did not uphold an essen- tialist sense of identity, thus providing a basis for mutual recognition, as reflected in the new constitution. How- ever, while in theory there was room for mitigating sectarian and ethnic boundaries, in practice, the dif- ferences assumed a much larger place, as reflected in the power struggle between Baghdad and Erbil. The process of unifying Iraq lacked an in-depth debate over the place of diverse national narratives, together with an effort toward people-to-people contact. Concur- rently, the struggle against the jihadists enhanced Shii- Kurdish interdependency, while the battle of Kirkuk led to greater pragmatism. Post-2003 Iraq provides a chal- lenging case of democratization and regime change, due to the need for a delicate balancing act between power and multiple visions of religion and ethnic identity while contemplating multiple visions of nationalism. MIDDLE EAST POLICY. 2021;1–17. © 2021 The Middle East Policy Council 1 wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/mepo