Armenia’s ongoing election campaign is developing according to a predictable logic, yet the behavior of the authorities suggests that the main propaganda narratives chosen in advance are no longer delivering sufficient results. This opinion was expressed by political commentator Hakob Badalyan.
The “peace or war” narrative is losing effectiveness
According to him, at the initial stage the authorities attempted to build the political agenda around the dilemma of “peace or war,” which he described as “artificial and false.”
Badalyan argued that this approach was also used as a form of political blackmail, negatively affecting public sentiment.
That, in his opinion, explains why Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has recently been returning more frequently to the topic of the “former authorities.”
“This suggests that the peace-versus-war blackmail was not considered sufficiently effective for the authorities, and now there is an attempt to return to the traditional political formula centered around the former elites,” he stated.
According to Badalyan, during eight years in power Pashinyan not only failed, but in reality never truly attempted, to move beyond this political rhetoric because it created a politically comfortable environment for the government.
However, the commentator believes that this mechanism is now also encountering difficulties.
The Samvel Karapetyan factor
In Badalyan’s view, the involvement of businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan disrupts the authorities’ traditional propaganda framework built around the narrative of “former elites and looting.”
He notes that Karapetyan is difficult to associate with the previous political system or with corruption because the public primarily connects him with large investments and charitable activities.
The political commentator also addressed the issue of the Electric Networks of Armenia company.
According to him, attempts by the authorities to portray the company as a “symbol of looting” are not resonating with broad segments of society.
“Society directly interacted with the Electric Networks itself, and people know and experienced the situation personally. Therefore, it is impossible to create an atmosphere of ‘total looting’ through statements alone,” he said.
Old political formulas are losing impact
According to Badalyan, this is precisely where the authorities’ main political problem lies in the current political environment.
He believes that Samvel Karapetyan’s participation creates a situation in which traditional political contrasts are losing their previous influence.
“You can say anything, but words alone no longer work. Society must at least tangibly feel something,” the commentator stressed.
Badalyan believes the current situation could become an opportunity for political transformation, while for Armenia itself, according to him, change has already become a vital necessity.