Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his policies are set to get a boost after voters recently elected a parliament that favors reform.
While Rouhani’s reformists didn’t win a majority of seats, it appears likely that the “moderate” independents also elected will side with his faction, giving the reformists an effective majority in the parliament for the first time since 2004.
So now that Rouhani may finally have the backing of parliament, will he be able to pursue the economic and social reforms he has promised since first taking office in 2013? And does this mean the nuclear deal that he helped champion will lead to an Iran that’s more open to foreign businesses and the West?
While a parliamentary majority helps—along with his general popularity—other power centers have enormous influence over economic policy, constraining Rouhani's ability to implement reforms.
