On 7 June 2026, Armenians will go to the polls in parliamentary elections that are formally domestic, but politically much larger than that. Nineteen political forces – seventeen parties and two alliances – are competing in the race. Yet the real contest is not only between parties. The 2026 elections are not only a domestic contest over power, but a referendum-like moment on Armenia’s geopolitical orientation, peace agenda, and democratic resilience. At the heart of this election are three larger questions: whether a post-war society can resist the political instrumentalization of fear; whether a small state can reclaim agency after years of strategic dependence; and whether, after repeated rupture and loss, Armenia can still define its future beyond trauma. In this sense, the election is not only about who governs Armenia next. It is about the political direction through which Armenia will try to govern itself after war, displacement, and the collapse of old security assumptions. These are Armenia’s third parliamentary elections since the 2018 Velvet Revolution, following the early elections of 2018 and 2021. That matters. For the first time in years, Armenia is not going to elections only because of the immediate crisis – revolution in 2018, post-war political breakdown in 2021 – but in a moment when the country is trying to define a new strategic direction. The vote is therefore less about routine government change and more about whether Armenia’s post-2018 democratic project can survive the pressures placed on it: defeat, displacement, polarization, foreign interference, and the daily political temptation to turn fear into votes. (To read the full commentary, click on the image above.)

17 parties and two electoral blocs are competing for seats in parliament, in elections on Sunday, 7 June.They are seeking the support of around 2.5 million eligible voters across the country. This page brings together our coverage, analysis, interviews and updates on the campaign. At the bottom of this blog, all the issues of the Armenian Election Monitor 2026 can be found. ================= OSCE PA Mission to observe Sunday's election in Armenia ==================== A delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is in Yerevan to observe Sunday's election The mission is led by the Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, Farah Karimi (Netherlands), and the Head of the OSCE PA delegation of observers, Jevrosima Pejović (Montenegro)  ===== ======= ======================Armenian CEC sanctions prosecution of six "Strong Armenia "candidates accused of vote buying ==== The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Armenia has authorized the Prosecutor General's Office to initiate criminal prosecution against six parliamentary candidates from the opposition "Strong Armenia" alliance led by Samvel Karapetyan. ​The Investigative Committee reports that a decision has been made to detain these individuals ======== CEC Rejects  call to invalidate registration of Samvel Karapetyan's "'Strong Armenia" bloc. =============================== ==================================== At a meeting on Friday evening, (5 June), Armenia's Central Electoral Commission rejected the Republic Party's application to invalidate the registration of the Strong Armenia party bloc's electoral list, led by Samvel Karapetian. "Aram Sargsyan's appeal to deregister Samvel Karapetyan's 'Strong Armenia' bloc is rejected. The decision comes into force upon publication at the meeting," a CEC statement reads. The appeal was rejected unanimously by all seven commission members. Central Election Commission Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan stated that the arguments and allegations presented lacked sufficient substantiation and were purely speculative. ==================================Who is who in Armenia's Parliamentary Elections - a list prepared by civilnet (available here https://civilnet.am/en/news/1011838) ======= to read the blog click the image above

This week, commonspace.eu spoke to Nigel Ellway about his work on landmines, explosive weapons and victim assistance, and his mission to make conflict-affected communities safer and more humane places to live.  Nigel Ellway is a former international journalist and Whitehall media adviser who has dedicated more than a decade to raise political awareness of landmines, explosive weapons and victim assistance. In 2011, he created an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Landmines, and in 2018 founded the REVIVE Campaign, a humanitarian NGO focused on research and advocacy. We spoke to Mr. Ellway about the long-term impact of landmines and explosive weapons, why victim assistance is too often politically neglected, and why mine action should be measured not only by land cleared or devices removed, but by lives rebuilt, livelihoods restored and communities made safe again. “When I founded REVIVE, we adopted the phrase: “Reduce explosive violence, increase victim empowerment.” That is actually where the organisation’s name comes from. But over time, I became increasingly realistic about what NGOs can and cannot achieve. Conflict will always exist, and human beings are endlessly inventive in the ways they wage war. Historically, landmines were seen as effective weapons of deterrence because they were cheap to deploy but expensive to remove. Today, however, warfare is evolving rapidly. Drone warfare is transforming the battlefield.” (To read the full interview, click on the image above.)