Nagorno-Karabakh

Nikol Pashinyan won Armenia’s parliamentary election with 49.8% of the vote, advancing his pro-Western 'Real Armenia' peace agenda. His Civil Contract party fell short of a supermajority, complicating constitutional reforms. The election occurred amid geopolitical tensions with Azerbaijan and Turkey, following Azerbaijan’s 2023 takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh. A U.S.-brokered peace deal in 2025 requires Armenia to remove constitutional claims to Nagorno-Karabakh, a move now delayed without a supermajority.

Armenia's parliamentary election exit polls show the ruling Civil Contract party leading with 56.7% against 17.5% for Strong Armenia. The election follows the cession of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan in 2023 and includes allegations of Russian meddling and vote-buying arrests.

Armenia approaches a critical parliamentary election as over 100,000 ethnic Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh face legal marginalisation and hostile rhetoric. Prime Minister Pashinyan campaigns on securing a peace accord with Azerbaijan, but refugees report growing challenges from the government.

French President Emmanuel Macron supports Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who faces a challenge from pro-Russia parties in the upcoming election. Macron believes Armenia's destiny lies with Europe and accuses Russia of abandoning Armenia after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. The vote is set to take place next month.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has escalated to legal proceedings, with parties pursuing court action to address the territorial and political dispute. This represents a shift toward international legal mechanisms in resolving the long-standing regional conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.