Armenia holds parliamentary elections amid geopolitical shift

Armenia is holding parliamentary elections today, which are seen as a test of support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s pivot toward the West and away from traditional ally Russia. Approximately 2.4 million citizens are eligible to vote. The election follows Armenia's 2023 military defeat by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, which led to a mass exodus of Armenians from the region. Tensions have risen as Moscow imposed restrictions on Armenian exports in response to Yerevan's deepening ties with the EU and the U.S. On the eve of the vote, authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party, whose leader, Samvel Karapetyan, is under house arrest for alleged government subversion. Polls indicate that Pashinyan's Civil Contract party leads with 24-32% support, while the Strong Armenia party trails with 6-11%. Civil society groups have expressed concerns regarding alleged Russian-backed disinformation campaigns, which Moscow continues to deny.