Expert: Armenian leadership's stance diverges sharply from public opinion

Following its defeat in the 44-day war, Armenia’s current government has been complying with all of Azerbaijan’s demands in hopes of securing a "peace agreement", which could be used as political leverage in the 2026 elections. However, the sweeping concessions have placed Armenia in the face of serious security challenges.

In an interview with Panorama.am on Thursday, Anzhela Elibegova, an expert on Azerbaijani affairs, shared her insights on national security risks and a growing disconnect between the government and the Armenian people.

Below are key takeaways from the interview:

• They promised to consider public opinion. Yet now, as another document is being prepared for signing, everything is again hidden from society. Secret negotiations are taking place and the public remains unaware of what is being discussed.

• The Azerbaijani authorities are increasingly questioning the legitimacy of Armenia’s current government. Ilham Aliyev has explicitly stated that a change of power is possible in Armenia and that Azerbaijan has no confidence that any signed agreements will remain valid.

• The stance of Armenia’s authorities is drastically different from that of the general public on this matter. While the Armenian authorities tend to be aligned with their "beloved" Azerbaijani counterparts, the public strongly opposes the current direction. Azerbaijan is exploiting this internal divide to extract maximum advantage from the current situation.

• The surveys conducted within Nikol Pashinyan’s circle may present a different picture, but the government must face reality. It’s time to stop living in the "Armenian Public TV bubble" and acknowledge that society rejects these changes. People oppose the systematic erosion of national identity and state foundations, which the government has pursued relentlessly for seven years.

• If the government cannot manage the situation, it must resign. If you are deliberately ruining the lives of all of us, you must leave, there is no other option. We need leaders who respect our sacred values, national dignity and heritage, and do not seek to erase everything and start from some vague ‘zero point.’

• Time and again, we’ve seen Azerbaijan avoid fulfilling its commitments, while Armenia rushes to meet every Azeri demand, negotiating from a position of weakness. This is why we have long insisted that the top negotiators must be replaced.

• Someone burdened by repeated failure, who negotiates with a bowed head, should not be at the helm, especially when even he acknowledges stagnation, having admitted, "I’ve remained in the same grade for seven years".