Key facts
- Armenians are voting in a parliamentary election on June 7.
- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party leads polls with approximately 30% support.
- The election follows Armenia's 2023 military defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, displacing 100,000 ethnic Armenians.
- Russia has increased pressure on Armenia through export restrictions and energy supply threats.
- A third of Armenians now view Russia as a threat.
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's Civil Contract party is leading with about 30% support, significantly ahead of his main rival, Samvel Karapetyan, who advocates for closer ties with Moscow. 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. 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. 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. Rivals Karapetyan and former President Robert Kocharyan advocate for maintaining ties with Russia.