Recently, another international report was published, which once again demolishes the thesis about a flourishing and prosperous Armenia, which the authorities have been imposing on citizens for years. Moreover, this report is also interesting from the point of view that when it became known in December of last year that ministers’ salaries were artificially increased under the name of “bonus payment” in the state system, the ruling “Civil Agreement” party cited the fact of effective work as an excuse. Meanwhile, in fact, the opposite is proven once again by the facts.

We are talking about the World Bank’s “Worldwide Governance Indicators-WGI” analysis. Although this analysis does not calculate a single index, but by analyzing more than 30 sources, it provides a comprehensive picture of the various directions of public administration for each year (the last one for 2024), not propaganda, but objective. The narrative of “progress” built by the government over the years actually collides with the undeniable reality of the numbers.

The report clearly reflects that the “post-revolutionary achievements” were the result of short-lived euphoria, not the result of systemic changes. 2018-2019 not only were certain positive movements not strengthened, but in the following years they were replaced by noticeable regression in important directions.

Most worrying “Political stability and absence of violence” (Political Stability and Absence of Violence) indicator image. if in 2019 the indicator was quite high, then in 2024 a sharp decline was recorded. Moreover, the last time it was lower than the value of 2024 was in 2000.

Let’s remind that the entire propaganda speech of the ruling political force is based on the thesis of “the former”, “there will be no return to the previously existing order”, while they, at a much lower level of management efficiency compared to the “predecessors”, they smoothly return to that past with their own management methods.

“Government Efficiency” In the case of the (Government Effectiveness) indicator, the picture is more telling. the highest result recorded during the years of the current government’s rule (2018) exceeds the values ​​of the years of the previous government only in 2008, and there was no result lower than the level of 2024 in any year of the previous government. In other words, the best result of the years of the CP government barely surpasses one of the lowest indicators of the previous government.

“Setting Quality” Regarding the (Regulatory Quality) indicator, no significant change has been recorded since 2004, and the value of 2024 exceeds only the level of 2014, and that is insignificant. In other words, this index, which remained almost unchanged for two decades, did not record any breakthrough during the current government, which indicates the lack of systemic reforms, regardless of the promises made.

What about? “Citizens’ Voice and Accountability” (Voice and Accountability) indicator, then in 2018 increased sharply and reached its maximum value, but decreased in subsequent years.

Although the value of the index in 2024 is still higher than the level of 2017, the values ​​of the index in recent years also prove that the initial euphoria did not last long. Perhaps, this is the most eloquent political assessment of Nikol Pashinyan’s administration. As a result, today it is already obvious that the promised democratic leap in quality has turned into a setback, and public trust has turned into a resource consumed by the government.

Thus, a simple but politically important conclusion is formed. 2018-2019 after the changes, the promised systemic breakthrough did not take place.

The “new Armenia” declared by the authorities remained at the level of statements, the indicators of real governance testify to the opposite: the degradation of governance, institutional weakening and the lack of a long-term development agenda. Moreover, the “revolutionary” mandate cannot endlessly serve as an excuse for governance lapses.

In these conditions, making promises about “prosperity” is no longer optimism, but a political manipulation disconnected from reality. And the most important question comes up. In the conditions of this whole picture, failed promises and wasted public trust, why should the people trust this same force with power again?

—