As Armenia votes, Pashinyan’s European path faces domestic and Russian resistance

FP News Desk • June 6, 2026, 14:56:48 IST

Armenians will head to the polls on June 7 in a closely watched election that could shape the country’s future for years to come, with PM Nikol Pashinyan seeking a fresh mandate

Armenians will head to the polls on June 7 in a closely watched election that could shape the country’s future for years to come, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeking a fresh mandate on promise of closer integration with Europe.

Since coming to power in 2018, Pashinyan has steadily moved Armenia away from Moscow’s sphere of influence, launching the process of European Union integration and pursuing closer political cooperation with Western partners.

His government has also made progress in normalising relations with Azerbaijan.

Earlier this year, Pashinyan hosted a summit in Yerevan attended by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, underscoring Armenia’s increasingly Western-oriented foreign policy.