Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan early Monday claimed victory in the country’s general election, as preliminary results showed his governing Civil Contract party came first with 49.81% of the vote.
Pashinyan and the governing Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course for Armenia, including distancing the South Caucasus country from Moscow and seeking to join the European Union.
His main opponent, Samvel Karapetyan, is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and is under house arrest for allegedly advocating for the government’s overthrow. Karapetyan, whose Strong Armenia bloc was the runner-up with 23.29% of the vote, has rejected the charge as politically motivated.
According to Armenia’s Central Election Commission, four parties polled above the 4% electoral threshold and will enter parliament following Sunday’s election, including some that are vocally pro-Russia.
Karapetyan's Strong Armenia party seeks to develop business ties with Russia and has accused Pashinyan of attempting to start a war with the Kremlin.
Two other parties, Armenia and Blossoming Armenia, also made it into parliament with 9.94% and 4% of votes, respectively. According to the election commission, turnout stood at 59.97%.
Before the results came in, Pashinyan spoke to journalists at his headquarters, claiming his party won the elections with a record result and would form the government on its own.
Top EU officials congratulated Pashinyan following the tightly contested race, seen in Europe as a litmus test of Russia’s influence in the former Soviet republic.
“The spirit of the Velvet Revolution you led in 2018 is alive and well,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday in a social media post, referring to the mass protests sparked by Pashinyan's activism that unseated Armenia's former Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan.
“We deeply value our partnership with a democratic Armenia that is drawing ever closer to Europe. Armenia can count on us," von der Leyen added.
European Council President António Costa also congratulated Pashinyan. In a post on X, Costa talked about a greater role for the EU in Armenia and the broader South Caucasus region, which bridges Europe's hungry energy markets and Central Asia's gas fields.
“Together, the EU and Armenia are building stronger links between people and creating new opportunities in energy, trade, and digitalization. Our strong partnership is an investment in a more peaceful and prosperous future for the region as a whole," he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Pashinyan, saying his victory would boost the "momentum toward closer ties with Europe".
"I look forward to continuing, by your side, the work we have begun to further strengthen our cooperation in the service of our peoples, to support peace and Armenia's sovereignty, and to accompany the momentum toward closer ties with Europe," Macron said in a post on X.
