As Armenia approaches its parliamentary elections in June 2026, the country is often seen as a success story in terms of democratization in the South Caucasus. Compared to neighboring Georgia, where the 2024 elections marked a decisive turn towards authoritarian consolidation , and Azerbaijan's entrenched autocracy, Armenia continues to exhibit pluralism, electoral competition and a degree of political openness. The legacy of the 2018 Velvet Revolution, which brought Nikol Pashinyan and the