YEREVAN — Armenia is hurtling towards a snap election after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s pro-Western government faced mounting pressure from Moscow. The Kremlin, angered by Yerevan’s drift towards the EU and NATO, has wielded its economic and security levers with increasing force, leaving ordinary Armenians to bear the cost.
The crisis deepened last week when Russia suspended gas supplies to Armenia for three days, citing a “technical issue”. For families in the capital’s Soviet-era blocks, the sudden cold was a stark reminder of dependency. “We are caught between two giants,” said Mariam, 52, a schoolteacher in Yerevan. “My son works in a factory that has lost orders since the Russians tightened customs checks. Prices are rising, and the government seems powerless.”
The trigger for the snap vote was the resignation of parliament speaker Alen Simonyan, a key Pashinyan ally, after a no-confidence motion backed by pro-Russian factions. The motion passed after defectors from the ruling Civil Contract party sided with the opposition, exposing fractures in Pashinyan’s coalition. A source close to the PM told this paper that “external pressure” had influenced some MPs.
President Vladimir Putin’s government has not hidden its displeasure at Pashinyan’s refusal to join the Eurasian Economic Union’s full customs union and his pursuit of an EU association agreement. Russia’s Federal Security Service has tightened checks at the border, causing delays for Armenian exporters. Last month, Russia blocked Armenian dairy products, citing health concerns widely seen as politically motivated.
In the industrial town of Gyumri, a once-thriving hub under Soviet rule, the bite is sharp. “We have lost access to the Russian market. Shops are closing. Young people are leaving. What does the West offer us? Words,” said construction worker Aram, 34, as he queued for a new passport in hope of finding work in Germany.
The election is expected within 45 days. Opinion polls show Pashinyan’s rating sliding, though his main rival, former president Robert Kocharyan, is tainted by corruption allegations. The pro-Russian Hayastan alliance is gaining ground, promising to restore ties with Moscow.
But for many, the choice is bitter. “Either you vote for a man who can’t stand up to Russia, or one who will hand us back to them,” said Mariam, wrapping her coat tighter. “The kitchen table doesn’t care about geopolitics. My children need bread.”
