Armenia reelects PM Nikol Paschinjan amid EU scrutiny

On 7 June, Armenia’s incumbent prime minister Nikol Paschinjan was voted back into office for a third term. Observers and opposition figures allege that the vote was neither free nor fair: campaign leaders were jailed, election officials and poll observers faced intimidation, and the OSCE reported arrests and pressure on public‑sector workers.

The European Union, which has long backed Paschinjan as a pro‑Western leader, views the re‑election as an opportunity to deepen ties with Yerevan, especially as the country seeks to consolidate peace after the recent end of hostilities in Nagorno‑Karabakh. Critics note that Paschinjan’s government finances social programmes and a compulsory health insurance scheme through growing foreign debt, while the health sector faces staff salary cuts and long patient wait times. The election and its aftermath therefore raise questions about Armenia’s democratic trajectory and the EU’s role in the South‑Caucasus region.