Analyst warns of collapse if Armenia's ruling party remains in power

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claims to have significantly improved the people’s well-being and promises to ensure national security through a peace agreement with Azerbaijan. However, in reality, living conditions have worsened, and a sober assessment of the current situation does not support the idea that peace is on the horizon.

In an interview with Panorama on Wednesday, Dr. Artur Khachikyan, a political analyst and professor at Stanford University, shared a bleak forecast for Armenia's future under the current government. Below are key takeaways from his interview.

• I haven’t seen prices like these even in Paris, Los Angeles or New York. People there earn 20 times more than we do, yet the prices are the same.

• In those countries, the average salary is 20 times higher than in Armenia, but the cost of living is comparable. Are we supposed to starve to death? What is Pashinyan talking about? Prices have skyrocketed, taxes have increased.

• Perhaps life has only become sweeter for members of Pashinyan’s party. That may well be the case, judging by their income declarations. They receive millions of drams in parliament just for hurling insults. Not a bad life.

• I would like to see the opposition unite. At the very least, they should refrain from sabotaging each other during elections. If the ruling party wins re-election, staying here becomes meaningless as there will be no Armenia left.

• Since the 2020 war, Pashinyan has consistently failed to take responsibility. His approach is always the same – lose, fail, concede something and then blame the others, including the previous governments. And somehow, he always manages to escape accountability.

• I don't know what external factors are at play, but Turkey and Azerbaijan would obviously do everything to keep Pashinyan in power. He is essentially their ambassador in Yerevan.