Armenia: Elections Are Over, But Questions Remain

On June 7, parliamentary elections were held in Armenia, as a result of which the ruling party can form a new government. What distinguished the 2026 elections, and is a parliamentary crisis looming?

Crisis and frustration after military defeats

The opposition against Pashinyan’s government has been unable to show unity in its efforts to overthrow the conforming leader and present a coordinated program for overcoming the crisis. The opposition landscape is fragmented, and parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition parties and movements are disunited. Their plans lack a systemic analysis of Armenia’s own interests.

Certain forces (such as the European Party of Armenia of Tigran Khzmalyan and the National Democratic Pole movement of Ara Papyan with Jirair Sefilyan) categorically advocate an alliance with the West (the EU and the United States), while others (such as the Armenia bloc led by Robert Kocharyan and Strong Armenia of Samvel Karapetyan) remain pro-Russian.

Political forces led by more experienced leaders and nationally oriented politicians (such as the National Security party of Garnik Isagulyan, Azat Hayrenik of Samvel Babayan, “Dog” party of Vardan Ghukasyan, the Committee 27 movement of Vladimir Poghosyan, and others) lacked the organizational and material resources to participate actively in the electoral race.

This situation suits Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan perfectly, especially since he has considerable experience in street democracy and controls the country’s administrative resources (the security apparatus and the media).

Foreign policy decisions and their consequences

Pashinyan, at the dictation of France and the United States, renounced claims to Karabakh in favor of Azerbaijan at the first European Political Community forum in Prague in October 2022, agreed to a peace treaty on Baku’s and Ankara’s terms, and in August 2025 signed the Washington agreement to open the so-called Trump Road (the Zangezur Corridor) to connect Azerbaijan through Armenia’s Meghri region with Nakhchivan and Türkiye under US control. In other words, Pashinyan opted for peace with Azerbaijan and Türkiye through concessions (if not capitulation), but without Russia’s participation.

In Armenia’s domestic political life, Nikol Pashinyan has nevertheless been successful compared to his predecessors: first, he managed to achieve economic growth and improved social welfare for the country’s........

© New Eastern Outlook