Armenia votes amid intense international focus

Armenia is poised for a crucial election on Sunday, drawing significant international scrutiny from the European Union, the United States, and Russia. The vote carries substantial weight, not only for the nation's future but also on the international stage.

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Foreign policy is the new domestic policy.

The European Union has deployed a mission specifically to monitor the election and combat disinformation. Meanwhile, the U.S. Vice President has expressed support for the incumbent president, while Russia has indicated potential sanctions.

According to Péter Pál Kránitz, a leading researcher at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, foreign policy and domestic issues are deeply intertwined in Armenia. While economic concerns, including high unemployment and poverty, remain significant, security matters are equally paramount for Armenian voters. The status of refugees from Karabakh, numbering around one hundred thousand, exemplifies this convergence of domestic, foreign, and security policy.

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This also illustrates how domestic and foreign policy are intertwined.

Kránitz also highlighted unemployment as a major domestic issue, noting opposition leader Samvel Karapetyan's populist promise to create 300,000 new jobs in the country of three million. This promise appears to resonate strongly with the Armenian populace. The ongoing peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is another critical factor influencing the election.

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which is obviously a populist exaggeration, however, it seems that this resonates quite well with Armenian society, not by chance.