On June 26, a discussion dedicated to the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia took place at the Civil Society Center in Prague. The discussion was attended by a journalist, former Deputy of the National Assembly of Armenia, and founder of the NGO For Equal Rights Gayane Abrahamyan, a member of the European Parliament, Marketa Gregorova (Pirate Party) from Brussels, and Pavel Havlíček, an analyst from the Association for International Affairs.
Only days remain before Armenians head to the polls in a what may be the most consequential election in the country’s modern history. On 7 June, the parliamentary vote is likely to shape Armenia’s future for years to come – its geopolitical direction, the continuation of democratic reforms launched by the Velvet Revolution, and the peace process following the war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
With around one third of voters still undecided and an intensely heated election campaign fuelled by a surge in disinformation, the situation in this three-million-strong South Caucasus nation is highly volatile
“Foreign information manipulation has intensified by 300% over the past five months,” according to Armenian analyst Gayane Abrahamyan. In the lead-up to election day, we brought together leading experts and policymakers for a public debate to explore the possible outcomes and reflect on the recent high-level EU summit in Armenia.
At the Prague Centre, we’re deeply committed to Armenia’s democratic future. We’ve supported Armenia’s civil society and independent media since 2016 and we’ll continue to do so no matter the result.
Next Sunday, Armenians are set to head to the polls in the first regular parliamentary election since 2017, following two snap elections in 2018 and 2021. “What I see is at stake are the credentials of the Velvet Revolution and what has been happening since then,” commented Pavel Havlíček, analyst from the Association for International Affairs at our recent expert panel organised together with the Institute for European Policy Europeum and hosted by the European Parliament Liaison Office in Prague.
“This is not just an election about ruling party or opposition, internal processes. This is a historical election when Armenians have to decide whether to choose the democratic path or go back to Russian orbit and opening again the page of conflict,” argued Armenian analyst and former journalist, founder of the For Equal Rights NGO, Gayane Abrahamyan.
The election campaign is marked by harsh rhetoric and widespread disinformation – both domestic and foreign – playing on fear. “Unlike in Moldova or Georgia where the main false binary was supporting Russia or the EU, the main fake narrative for the Armenian society is ‘if you’re not choosing Russia, you can be under Turkey,”’ shared Abrahamyan.
Despite the large number of running parties and alliances – 19 in total – only a few represent parities with genuine democratic intention. “Only three are more or less pro-democratic. I wouldn’t even say pro-European,” added Abrahamyan.
As warnings grow over potential foreign interference, Brussels stepped up support for democratic resilience. “The newly established partnership mission in Armenia, the unprecedented resolution in Armenia just before the elections, and the huge European Political Community summit really signal that Armenia became a priority for the EU in this region,” said
Markéta Gregorová, Member of the European Parliament for the Czechia, focusing on foreign policy, hybrid threats, and cyber security.
