ALBAWABA- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has claimed a “historic victory” after parliamentary elections delivered a strong mandate for his government’s plan to normalize relations with Turkey, pursue a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, and accelerate Armenia’s shift toward closer ties with the West.
Preliminary results from Armenia’s Central Election Commission show Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party securing about 49.8% of the vote, translating into an estimated 61 to 64 seats in the National Assembly, enough to maintain a governing majority and consolidate control over the legislative agenda.
The result is widely interpreted as a referendum on Armenia’s geopolitical direction following the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, with voters backing Pashinyan’s platform of diplomatic compromise and regional realignment.
At the centre of his campaign was what he described as the “Real Armenia” strategy, a policy framework built on accepting internationally recognised borders, ending decades of isolation from Turkey, and reducing Armenia’s reliance on Russia by strengthening economic and political integration with Europe and the broader West.
“The most important thing that has happened is that the Republic of Armenia has been freed from the conflict trap,” Pashinyan said during the final days of campaigning, as he urged voters to support a “pragmatic future” over historical grievances.
Under this approach, the government has prioritised a comprehensive peace treaty with Azerbaijan and the formal normalisation of relations with Turkey, seen as central pillars of long-term stability and economic development.
The opposition, however, suffered a decisive defeat. The Strong Armenia Bloc, led by businessman Samvel Karapetyan, finished second with 23.3% of the vote on a platform advocating renewed strategic alignment with Moscow. The Armenia Alliance, headed by former president Robert Kocharyan, secured 9.9%, campaigning on a harder-line nationalist agenda and accusing the government of capitulation.
Several factors contributed to the opposition’s poor performance, including voter fatigue with Armenia’s former political establishment, widespread distrust of oligarch-linked networks, and declining public confidence in Russia’s role as a security guarantor following previous regional conflicts.
Moscow’s perceived inability to protect Armenian interests during past escalations further weakened pro-Russian arguments, while tensions ahead of the vote, amid reports of trade pressure and warnings over Armenia’s European aspirations, appeared to reinforce rather than reverse the country’s westward drift.
In the final days of campaigning, Armenian authorities also detained several opposition figures on allegations of electoral misconduct, a move critics denounced as politically motivated, but supporters argued was part of broader anti-corruption enforcement.
European Union officials welcomed the election outcome, viewing it as a consolidation of Armenia’s pro-European trajectory. However, Pashinyan’s government still faces significant constraints, having fallen short of the supermajority needed to amend the constitution, an essential step reportedly required by Azerbaijan as part of any final peace settlement.
