Political opportunism, the unscrupulous use of events to gain political prestige or power, constitutes a barrier to political development and general progress, particularly from a lack of cooperation with partners or colleagues. Political opportunism may occur on the national or international level.
One of the most prominent political opportunists of recent years has been Iraq's Saddam Hussein. He refused, for example, to join other Arab states in rejecting peace dealings with Israel on the grounds that they were not rejectionist enough, but only a short time later became a moderate to promote dealings with the USA.