Empty promises or a development vector

As the date of parliamentary elections in Armenia approaches (elections to the National Assembly will be held on June 7), the actions of the opposing sides are becoming increasingly harsh, writes the newspaper "Kaspi."

On April 20, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented the election program of the "Civil Contract" party, which in its structure and content represents a programmatic document defining the priority areas of the party's activities in the event of its victory in the elections. The ideological platform of the program is the concept of "Real Armenia," which implies abandoning former maximalist foreign policy and nationalist positions in favor of a pragmatic course aimed at adapting to the established regional configuration and transforming internal political and public institutions in accordance with the new conditions.

The central element of the program is the thesis of "institutionalization of peace." This refers to an attempt to translate the peace agreements concluded with Azerbaijan into a stable system of political, legal, and economic mechanisms. Peace in this case is viewed as a fragile state requiring constant political support and legitimation through an electoral mandate.

The Armenian prime minister links further institutionalization of the peace process with the consistent advancement of several directions, including the continuation of demarcation, completion of the procedure for signing and ratifying the agreement on establishing peace and interstate relations, as well as the implementation of infrastructure and transport initiatives, in particular the TRIPP project, linked to the agreements reached within the framework of the Washington Declaration of August 8, 2025, and corresponding programmatic documents. At the same time, it is emphasized that the formation of a sustainable peace model should be accompanied not only by official contacts but also by meetings of civil society and business community representatives. These directions are positioned as an element of the long-term consolidation of the peace agenda at the level of social and economic ties.

Taken together, the outlined approach reflects a transition from declarative settlement to the phased formation of an institutional environment within which peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan acquires the characteristics of a stable and reproducible system.

Reforms in "non-stop" mode

The domestic policy block of the program continues the reformist line and focuses on restructuring relations between the state and society. In this context, the key proposal is the initiative to adopt a new Constitution, which should eliminate the deficit of trust in the existing legal system and ensure more sustainable legitimacy of government institutions.

In this context, the constitutional reform initiative promoted by the Armenian prime minister is seen as an attempt to draw a final institutional line under the previous stage of state development and to form a legal basis for a conditional "fourth republic," built around the ideology of "Real Armenia." The aim is to form such a political and legal framework that would significantly limit the opposition's ability to rely on the current Constitution, including the provisions and interpretations contained in its preamble and used to substantiate theses about territorial claims and a revisionist agenda. In this sense, constitutional reform becomes an instrument that changes the rules so that the opposition has almost no opportunity to rely on existing laws, while simultaneously consolidating the new political course.

The logic of transformations

The economic part of the program represents an attempt to adapt the economy and governance system to the new conditions. The main emphasis is placed on technology, digitalization, and the development of artificial intelligence. Education is viewed as a key foundation for future growth — it is planned to be used to train personnel for the new economy.

As for security, the focus is not only on the military sphere but also on food, energy, and cybersecurity.

In foreign policy, the course toward developing relations with all key partners without rigid orientation toward one direction is consolidated. Particular importance is attached to normalizing relations with neighbors and participating in regional economic and transport projects.

Overall, the program is aimed at consolidating the policies already being pursued and formalizing them into a long-term course based on three directions: the peace agenda, renewal of state institutions, and gradual modernization of the economy.

Whether Nikol Pashinyan will be able to implement this program in practice will be shown in the coming months. Moreover, much will depend not only on internal resources and the managerial capacity of the team but also on the external environment — the dynamics of regional processes, the level of support from external partners, and the overall state of the economy. It is precisely the combination of these factors that will determine whether the program remains empty promises or defines the development trajectory of Armenian society for the years ahead.