Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party has won Armenia’s parliamentary election, according to preliminary results released by the Central Election Commission (CEC).
The ruling party secured 49.81 percent of the vote, placing it well ahead of its competitors in a closely watched election.
Turnout in the landlocked nation of around three million people stood at more than 58 percent, the CEC confirmed.
The main opposition alliance, Strong Armenia, came in second with 23.29 percent of the vote.
The bloc is led by Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian billionaire currently under house arrest over allegations of advocating government overthrow. He has rejected the accusations, calling them politically motivated.
Karapetyan described the election as “shameful,” alleging violations and repression, and claimed that dozens of his campaign staff were detained during the electoral process.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened 59 criminal cases related to alleged election violations and detained nine individuals.
Other parties cross threshold
Two additional opposition forces also secured parliamentary representation.
Former President Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia alliance received 9.9 percent of the vote, while the Prosperous Armenia party won 4 percent, according to the CEC.
However, the final distribution of seats in parliament has not yet been announced.
Pashinyan pushes western alignment
The election outcome is seen as a mandate for Pashinyan’s broader geopolitical strategy, which includes distancing Armenia from Russia and strengthening ties with Western institutions.
The prime minister has already frozen participation in a Russia-led security bloc while increasing engagement with the European Union and the United States.
He has also set Armenia on a potential path toward EU membership.
Peace process with Azerbaijan in focus
The vote is also linked to ongoing peace efforts with Azerbaijan, a country with which Armenia has experienced decades of intermittent conflict since the late 1980s.
Pashinyan fell short of the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to initiate a constitutional referendum tied to the peace agreement and normalization efforts with Turkiye, Azerbaijan’s key ally.
International reactions
Pashinyan declared a “historic victory,” saying it would secure Armenia’s long-term development and future stability.
He pledged to continue strengthening relations with Western partners while maintaining ties with Russia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Pashinyan, describing the result as a step toward “a democratic Armenia that is drawing ever closer to Europe.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also welcomed the outcome, saying it signaled Armenia’s shift toward closer European integration.
Meanwhile, Moscow has expressed concern over Armenia’s growing alignment with Western powers, amid broader regional tensions following the Ukraine conflict.
