Armenia: Pashinyan goes into “attack mode” against political rivals

· May 16, 2025

eurasianet

Prime minister shows confidence that his debate skills can neutralize critics.

With his messaging about transforming Armenian society having trouble gaining traction, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is falling back on the time-honored political tradition of attacking his chief rivals.

Public opinion polling shows that Armenians have mixed feeling about Pashinyan’s “Real

Armenia” strategy, which seeks to stimulate individual initiative to drive economic development, while fostering a new, forward-looking national identity. At the same time, his efforts to finalize a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, a prerequisite for implementation of his economic growth strategy,

have stalled.

With parliamentary elections approaching next year, Pashinyan’s government appears to be making political moves designed to create a bit of separation between himself and his chief rivals, all of them former presidents.

On May 12, the government’s chief prosecutor announced an initiative to recover a wide array of assets, including residences, vehicles, businesses, as well as cash and other valuables, belonging to former president Robert Kocharyan and his family members. Government officials contend the assets were obtained improperly.

The recovery efforts come several months after Kocharyan re-emerged as a vocal critic of Pashinyan’s foreign policy after spending the better part of the past three years out of the political limelight. “If we continue on this path, we risk losing everything,” Kocharyan said during a

television interview, referring to the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process and Armenia’s pivot

away from Russia.

Pashinyan earlier in May challenged his chief political rivals – Kocharyan, along with Armenia’s other former presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan – to a live, televised debate on the key issues confronting the country. Pashinyan clearly believes he can run rhetorical circles around his opponents, discrediting their positions and giving the Real Armenia concept a boost.

“If you have something to say, let’s go and talk live. Stop saying something in dark corners,” Pashinyan addressed his chief rivals during an appearance in parliament.

“I honestly offer one against three,” said Pashinyan, who taunted his rivals to “collect your smart, stupid, wise and not very good thoughts and come (to a debate).”