Two weeks ago al-Abadi's government agreed on reductions in the salaries of many civil servants, including the university staffers. “I know that some of you will suffer because of this but you should be aware of the realities here – especially because we are fighting the Islamic State, which also requires a lot of funding.”
Of course this was not news to make anybody happy. State employees organised protests, strikes and incidents of civil disobedience. Among them were university staff who haven't been back to work, despite the fact that the new term has already started. The salaries of police and military were not curtailed, although it seems the volunteers with the occasionally controversial Shiite Muslim militias are being paid less.
In an open letter to al-Abadi, the leader of one of those militias, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, who heads Hezbollah in Iraq, complained that the militia members – who are seen by many Shiite Iraqis as heroes for volunteering to defend their country from the Islamic State group – have not been paid at all, or not been paid enough.
Pressure is also on al-Abadi from outside the country. Al-Maliki's contingent, who are supported by the Iranians, are advocating for interventions by Russia. On the other hand, US forces are threatening to decrease their assistance to Iraq if al-Abadi allows the Russians in. A careful diplomatic balancing act is required.
And all the while the extremist Islamic State group continues to control parts of the country and fight pro-government forces.
The question now must be this: Will al-Abadi be pushed out of his Prime Minister’s chair soon? Probably not. Given the conditions in Iraq and the multiple, complicated problems the nation is dealing with, as well as the various pressures on the country's most senior politician, it's not a job many want.
It won't be easy to find somebody to take over. So it doesn't seem likely that al-Abadi will be forced to leave the job anytime soon. But what does seem more likely is that he will continue on as the country's leader, but one who is forced to continue to try and build ever weaker consensuses, in a country where the strong man with the gun or the suitcase of money often wins.
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