"The (domestic) problem with Armenia’s recent elections"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Modern Diplomacy
5 July 2026
Published: https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/07/06/the-domestic-problem-with-armenias-recent-elections/
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been re-elected to another term after being victorious in his country’s 7 June elections. His re-election is a relief for Washington and Europe, given Pashinyan’s foreign policy ideologies and objectives. However, his domestic policies are very problematic; the repression and crackdown on freedom of speech leading up to the elections could signal a period of hardship for the Armenian population in the foreseeable future.
The elections in Armenia were closely monitored internationally, as much was at stake at a regional level. The obvious primary foreign policy issue for Armenia is the future of the peace process between Yerevan and the Azerbaijani government; Pashinyan’s re-election was critical to keeping the negotiations between the two neighbors alive. Moreover, given its location in the Caucasus, Armenia could become a critical transportation zone in regional trade networks such as the Middle Corridor; however, to achieve this goal, the Armenian government must be willing to engage and cooperate with neighbors like Azerbaijan, Georgia, and, yes, Türkiye.
