Armenia’s incumbent prime minister Nikol Pashinyan has secured a third-term re-election with a slim majority, affirming the country’s pivot towards the EU.
Despite claims of bribery and tit-for-tat accusations of illegitimacy among the main contenders, Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party received 49.8 percent of the vote, with the main opposition party Strong Armenia only garnering a quarter of the ballot count.
Storming to power at the forefront of the 2018 Velvet Revolution, the PM declared his Civil Contract party to have secured a “historic victory” on Sunday (7 June) while only a fifth of votes had been counted.
“The spirit of the Velvet Revolution you led in 2018 is alive and strong,” EU Commission president Ursula Von den Leyen commented officially, complimenting Pashinyan on his re-election on social media. “We deeply value our partnership with a democratic Armenia, which is growing ever closer to Europe.”
“In the face of far-reaching coercion and interference by Russia, this victory reaffirms Armenians’ choice for a strong, sovereign and independent Armenia,” said EU commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, adding a visit to the Caucasus country would come “as soon as possible”.
