Key facts
- Armenians are voting in a parliamentary election on June 7.
- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is testing efforts to forge peace with Azerbaijan and deepen ties with Western countries.
- Pashinyan's Civil Contract party leads polls with approximately 30% support.
- Russia has increased pressure on Armenia, restricting exports and threatening energy supply.
- A third of Armenians now view Russia as a threat.
- The election follows Armenia's 2023 military defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to displacement of 100,000 ethnic Armenians.
Armenians are heading to the polls on June 7 in a parliamentary election that will test Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's agenda of forging peace with Azerbaijan and strengthening ties with Western nations, moving away from Russia. Pashinyan, who grew up in the northern town of Ijevan, has overseen infrastructure improvements and aims to transform Armenia into a "crossroads of peace" by re-opening borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Polls indicate his Civil Contract party is leading with about 30% support, significantly ahead of his main rival, Samvel Karapetyan, who advocates for closer ties with Moscow. However, Pashinyan's pivot away from Russia is fraught with challenges, as Moscow has increased pressure through export restrictions and threats to energy supply. Surveys reveal that a third of Armenians now perceive Russia as a threat, ranking it behind only Azerbaijan and Turkey. U.S. President Donald Trump has endorsed Pashinyan, and Europe is closely observing Armenia's increasing sovereignty. The election follows Armenia's 2023 military defeat, which resulted in Azerbaijan regaining control of Nagorno-Karabakh and the displacement of approximately 100,000 ethnic Armenians. While Pashinyan highlights progress towards peace and re-opening the border with Turkey, no formal deal with Azerbaijan has been finalized, leading critics to accuse him of conceding too much and diverting responsibility for past security failures. Securing a two-thirds parliamentary majority is crucial for Pashinyan to fulfill a pledge to hold a referendum on constitutional changes related to the peace process. The opposition also alleges authoritarianism, with several opponents detained. Rivals Karapetyan and former President Robert Kocharyan advocate for maintaining ties with Russia and warn against Pashinyan's perceived closeness to Azerbaijan.