On 7 June, Armenia will hold one of the most important elections of its independence era, in which more than political incumbency over the next five years is at stake. Following intensive negotiations of an agreement with Azerbaijan to settle nearly four decades of violent conflict, Armenia’s June election is widely seen as a national referendum on the peace terms negotiated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which many in Armenia see as laden with risk. These elections will also be the most geopoliticised in Armenia’s history, with external actors making their preferences plain in ways that dangerously distract from the democratic process. Under multiple pressures, the democratic transition ushered in by 2018’s ‘Velvet Revolution’ remains fragile and uncertain.
This webinar will discuss the domestic politics of the electoral campaign, the stakes for Armenia’s citizens, the roles played by external actors and the implications for Armenia’s ongoing peace process with Azerbaijan.
