Stepan Safaryan Enters Politics

Forces aligned with Europe have already begun to position and reposition themselves ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections. The loud defeat in Gyumri, where the 'Eurasians' with the combined participation of three parties failed to overcome the threshold and remained without mandates in the council, has opened the door for new realignments. Writes the 'Zhoghovurd' newspaper.

The first in line among the new players are human rights defender Nina Karapetyan and Garegin Miskaryan, who have already publicly announced their intention to enter politics. Their move is viewed as a fresh declaration of strength from the European wing.

According to the newspaper, another figure well-known in public life has intentions to participate in the 2026 elections. This refers to Stepan Safaryan, the former president of the Public Council and founder of the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs. Safaryan himself did not deny the information in an interview with 'Zhoghovurd', stating, “Such discussions and conversations have existed within our large team (which includes my friends from the Institute, as well as friends, partners, and supporters) for more than four years. More specifically, it has been since the 2021 extraordinary parliamentary elections. We cannot exclude the possibility of making such an initiative, nor can we confirm it until a final decision is made. If there are any updates on this topic, the public will certainly be informed. At this moment, no further details or comments can be provided.”

Thus, more than a year and a half before the elections, it is already noticeable that the field of European and Western-oriented forces is being shaped with new faces and new ambitions.