Armenian parliamentary elections signal pro‑European shift, says Slovak MEP Miriam Lexmann

Slovak Member of the European Parliament Miriam Lexmann, serving as an OSCE election observer, said the June 2026 parliamentary elections in Armenia were a clear referendum on the country’s foreign‑policy orientation. She noted that voters granted a second mandate to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and gave the Civil Contract party a parliamentary majority, indicating a decisive move toward closer ties with the European Union and the trans‑Atlantic community.

Lexmann warned that Russia has threatened to curtail gas and oil supplies and impose trade restrictions on Armenian agricultural products in response to the pro‑European vote. She called for Slovakia and other democratic nations to help Armenia withstand Russian pressure, support democratic reforms, and assist in ongoing peace negotiations with Azerbaijan and the management of relations with Turkey. Lexmann also criticised Slovak diplomatic statements before the vote for not naming the threats facing Armenia, and recalled that she received Armenia’s highest state award in 2024 for her work strengthening EU‑Armenian relations.