Issues of security and statehood of Armenia formed the basis of the pre-election rhetoric
As “Caucasian Knot” wrote, the issue of visa liberalization with the European Union will be resolved in the next two years, Nikol Pashinyan stated during a meeting with voters. The promises of the four main political forces participating in the parliamentary elections in Armenia concerned reducing poverty, creating new jobs, increasing pensions and GDP. According to analysts, most of the promises are simply populism.
Elections to the National Assembly of Armenia will be held on June 7. According to analysts, the parties of Samvel Karapetyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and former President Robert Kocharyan will be key competitors in the elections. Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia, along with Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia bloc and Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia, are among the most pro-Russian parties in the Armenian parliamentary elections. The “Caucasian Knot” has prepared a report titled “2026 Elections to the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia.”
Over the past 24 hours, the election campaign of Armenia’s leading political forces has become even more emotional and contentious. The campaign has shifted to issues of security, identity, war, and the country’s foreign policy choices. Almost all key players are using harsh rhetoric, appealing to public fears, and attempting to mobilize voters by contrasting “saving the country” with “threats to statehood,” according to Facebook* posts from the leading contenders for parliamentary seats at pre-election rallies.
The Civil Contract campaign focuses on preserving peace
Nikol Pashinyan’s campaign is built around preserving peace, sovereignty, and the future of Armenia. The authorities’ main emotional message is the need to protect the achieved stability and prevent a return to the past. Today, the Prime Minister and party representatives visited Abovyan, Dzoragbur, Akunk, Geghashen, Aragotsotn, Garni, and Stels.
“Don’t let them take our future from us,” Pashinyan said today, referring to opposition representatives, portraying them as a threat to stability.
The topic of territorial integrity occupies a prominent place. Pashinyan is attempting to neutralize public fears about possible concessions:
“Meghri is and will always be an integral part of Armenia, because at the most difficult moment, I firmly stood by Armenia’s territorial integrity,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
A separate focus of his campaign is the advancement of the peace and infrastructure agenda through the TRIPP project. Pashinyan stated that the project is “becoming a reality.”
“Trump Route” (TRIPP): Transport Corridor through Armenia
The “Trump Route,” or TRIPP, is a transportation corridor project between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan through Armenia, created with the mediation and exclusive rights of the United States for 99 years. It became a key element of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed in August 2025 in Washington with the participation of President Donald Trump.
“The TRIPP project not only completes the corridor’s logic but also opens up boundless prospects for Armenia,” he said.
The ruling party is trying to present itself as a team capable of ensuring international integration and economic development. At the same time, Pashinyan is actively responding to one of the main fears of the campaign—the theme of “300,000 Azerbaijanis.”
“There is no such thing as the return of 300,000 Azerbaijanis, and there never was!” – he declared.
If our rating rises even slightly, the opposition will only appear in parliament by introducing legislative norms.
At the same time, Pashinyan again launched into harsh criticism of the opposition, calling Karapetyan “a spy who should be in prison.”
Pashinyan expresses confidence in the ruling party’s victory.
“The opponents are cut off from reality. If our rating rises even slightly, the opposition will appear in parliament only by introducing legislative norms,” he emphasized.
“Strong Armenia” seeks to mobilize voters through a patriotic agenda
The “Strong Armenia” campaign over the past 24 hours has been built primarily on mobilization through patriotic rhetoric.
The main emotional motive is the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We lost our second homeland, but we did not lose our dignity,” Samvel Karapetyan stated on his Facebook page*.
“Strong Armenia” is focusing on the theme of national dignity and the need for change.
“Vanadzor wants change. “Patriotism must become the most important value,” said party candidate Narek Karapetyan at a rally in Vanadzor on the evening of May 26.
Strong Armenia also shared photos from the Vanadzor campaign on its social media page, showing a large crowd gathered for the bloc’s rally.
We must go to the polls so the Azerbaijanis don’t come. We must go to the polls so they leave.
Party representatives call the elections important for preserving the country’s identity and cite slogans that appeal to fears of external threats.
“We must go to the polls so the Azerbaijanis don’t come.” “We must go to the polls so they leave,” said Strong Armenia candidate Gohar Gumashyan. Samvel Karapetyan is promoting a similar thesis. “Either you go to the polls, or the Azerbaijanis will,” he wrote, adding an AI-generated video of people holding Azerbaijani flags and heading en masse to Yerevan. “And
Alliance Armenia harshly criticizes the ruling party
Robert Kocharyan and Alliance Armenia are waging a fierce anti-government campaign. The central theme is accusing Pashinyan of destroying statehood and capitulating. Party representatives visited Yeghegnadzor, Malishka, Goris, Shinuhayr, and Tatev today.
“This man surrendered to Aliyev and Erdogan to maintain power. “I am ready to fulfill all their wishes to protect him,” Kocharyan said.
The Main Thing About the Sentences of Former Leaders of Nagorno-KarabakhThe trial of fifteen former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, detained in the fall of 2023, has concluded in the Baku Military Court. They were charged with war crimes against Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people under 20 articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code. On February 5, 2026, the court sentenced the defendants to life and long prison terms.
“June 7 is the day the destruction of Armenian statehood and the monstrous political program against our identity ceased,” the alliance representative said at the rally.
Kocharyan speaks of the threat of new territorial losses.
“We must stop this process. Otherwise, this government’s next target will be Syunik,” he said.
I don’t understand why the West is interfering so much in Armenia’s domestic political space.
The campaign is using the topic of Nagorno-Karabakh and prisoners of war:
“Today, nothing is being done to return our prisoners and the military-political leadership of Artsakh,” Kocharyan stated, in particular.
Armenia and the United States signed a strategic partnership charterUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed a strategic partnership charter between the two countries and initialed a framework agreement on the “Trump Route” project.
“I don’t understand why the West “[It] is invading Armenia’s domestic political space to such an extent,” Kocharyan said, calling Rubio’s visit to Yerevan “propaganda.”
“Prosperous Armenia” emphasizes the country’s socio-economic situation
“Prosperous Armenia” campaign combines patriotic rhetoric with criticism of the government’s current foreign policy. Unlike other opposition forces, the party emphasizes not only security and national issues, but also issues of living standards, social protection, and the economy.
The post-war agenda remains one of the central topics—the fate of prisoners of war and the question of national dignity.
“The return of prisoners of war, clarification of the fate of those missing in action, and the restoration of the dignity of our state should be among the most important issues for every Armenian,” said Gagik Tsarukyan.
The number of bans on imports of goods from Armenia to Russia has increased ahead of parliamentary electionsRosselkhoznadzor announced a ban on the import of certain cognacs and wines into Russia, and 37 million bottles of Jermuk mineral water were banned. Pashinyan called such bans common practice, while opposition representatives saw a political subtext in Russia’s actions.
“Congratulations, Russia has officially warned Armenia about unilaterally terminating the gas agreement.” “No problem, the main thing is that we are not Russian slaves, agents of the Kremlin,” Tsarukyan pointed out.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated today that Moscow may suspend and revise the agreement on duty-free gas supplies to Yerevan. All this will happen if Armenia continues to move towards rapprochement with Europe and joins the European Union, RIA Novosti writes.
He also recalled the flowers that entrepreneurs were unable to import into Russia due to the bans imposed.
The party is trying to occupy a niche in the social opposition, proposing measures of direct support for the population.
Among the key initiatives: “The minimum monthly pension will be gradually increased to 100,000 drams starting in 2027… the minimum wage should be gradually increased over the next two years.” Up to 150,000 drams.”
It is also proposed to make “all state and community educational institutions free of charge from 2028” and “build comfortable and affordable dormitories for students.”
The campaign is built on the theme of war, peace, and statehood.
The political discussion during the campaign is almost entirely centered on issues of war, peace, territorial security, and national identity. The socioeconomic agenda is almost completely supplanted by themes of threats to statehood and external pressure.
The government is trying to convince society that its course ensures peace, international support, and the preservation of sovereignty. The opposition, on the other hand, is building its campaign on themes of capitulation, national humiliation, and the risk of further territorial losses.
The main features of the current campaign are the high degree of political polarization, aggressive rhetoric, and the use of fear as the main tool for mobilizing voters. Each side presents the elections as a decisive moment for the future of Armenian statehood.
