In a result that has sent ripples through the Caucasus, Armenia’s pro-Western government has secured a parliamentary majority despite sustained pressure from Moscow. For those on the streets of Yerevan, the election was not merely a political contest but a referendum on identity. Voters lined up in the cold, many clutching small Armenian flags, to signal their desire for closer ties with Europe and the United States. The victory of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party was met with cautious celebrations, but also a palpable sense of unease among those who fear Russian retaliation.
British officials were quick to reaffirm their support, with a Downing Street spokesperson calling the election a “testament to the resilience of Armenian democracy”. But what does this mean for ordinary Armenians? In a café near Republic Square, a young teacher named Ani told me that she voted for change because she wants her children to have opportunities beyond what Russia offers. “We have seen what happens when we lean too far east,” she said, referring to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, where Russian peacekeepers proved ineffective. “We need new friends.”
Yet on the same street, an older man named Hovhannes expressed fear of the unknown. He sells dried fruits from a stall and remembers the 1990s, when Russian support was all that kept Armenia afloat during the blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan. He worries that the West’s promises will evaporate like morning mist. This generational divide is now the central fault line in Armenian society. The government must navigate between the aspirations of the young and the anxieties of the old, all while Russia watches from the wings.
The human cost of this geopolitical shift is already visible. Russian gas prices have risen, and there are whispers of trade restrictions. But victory at the polls has given the government a mandate to push ahead with visa liberalisation talks and EU integration. In the immediate aftermath, Britons and Europeans may feel a sense of moral triumph, but for Armenia, the real struggle is just beginning: to build a new future without being crushed by the old one.
