A new public opinion poll conducted ahead of the parliamentary elections in Armenia shows that the ruling authorities have strengthened their positions, while the opposition camp remains fragmented.
Medianews.az reports that according to the results of the third phase of the survey prepared by the Armenia Electoral Studies Center (ArmES) and published by EVN Report, support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's activities continues to grow.
The Electoral Studies Center conducted the third phase of the survey during April. One month before that was the second phase, and the first survey took place in late last year and early this year.
The number of those who positively evaluated Pashinyan's activities was 36% in the first phase, 47.2% in the second phase. Now this indicator has reached 49%.
The number of those dissatisfied with the Prime Minister's work was 45% in the first survey, 35.8% in the second phase, and 33.7% in the third phase.
The study shows a change in public mood regarding the country's future. While in previous surveys those who believed Armenia was moving in the wrong direction predominated, the latest results show that 44% of respondents claimed the country is developing in the right direction. The share of those holding opposite views was 30.9%.
The authors of the survey state that the ruling Civil Contract Party maintains a significant advantage in the election race. However, although the party leads the opposition forces by a large margin, there is still no guarantee that it will secure the necessary majority to form a government alone in the current situation.
Nikol Pashinyan founded the Civil Contract Party in 2013. In 2017, the "Way Out" bloc, which included this institution, Bright Armenia, and Republic parties, won 9 mandates in parliament.
From March 31, 2018, Nikol Pashinyan led the popular movement against President Serzh Sargsyan's intention to become prime minister. On April 9, Serzh Sargsyan's presidential powers expired. On the same day, as the country transitioned to a parliamentary governance system, executive power leadership was transferred to the prime minister. On April 17, Serzh Sargsyan took the prime minister's seat but stepped down on April 23 due to popular protests.
Since May 8, Nikol Pashinyan has held the position of prime minister. In the snap parliamentary elections held on December 9 that year, Pashinyan's "My Step" bloc won, and in the snap parliamentary elections on June 20, 2021, the Civil Contract Party secured victory.
According to the Electoral Studies Center's survey, one of the main noticeable issues is the fragmentation of the opposition. The Armenia bloc led by former President Robert Kocharyan and the Bright Armenia Party headed by businessman Gagik Sarukhanyan have so far failed to reach the minimum threshold of votes required to enter parliament in public opinion polls.
Robert Kocharyan, leader of the two-party Armenia bloc, headed the occupying regime in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region from 1992 to 1997. He was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia in March 1997. In February 1998, President Levon Ter-Petrosyan resigned. Robert Kocharyan, who began executing presidential powers as prime minister, was elected head of state in 1998 and 2003.
Gagik Sarukhanyan founded the Bright Armenia Party in 2004. He was elected as a member of parliament in 2003, 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2018.
According to the Armenia Electoral Studies Center's survey, the only force in the opposition camp that appears capable of overcoming the electoral barrier is the Strong Armenia bloc. However, support for this political organization has also declined over recent months. The bloc is characterized by a pro-Russian line and a stricter security policy.
Three parties are represented within the Strong Armenia bloc. The leading force is the Strong Armenia Party, led by Samvel Karapetyan. Samvel Karapetyan is a businessman operating in Russia. In June 2025, he was arrested on charges of calling for a forceful seizure of power; in December, he was released to house arrest. The Strong Armenia Party was established in January 2026.
The survey authors note that undecided voters still constitute one of the main factors in Armenian politics. Their number accounts for approximately 35-40% of the electorate. This indicates that the election results may change until the final stage.
Another noteworthy point in the study is the improvement in public sentiment regarding the economic situation and security. A significant portion of respondents believes that the country's security environment has improved over the past year. At the same time, the Pashinyan government's attitude towards regional events, especially tensions around Iran, is also positively assessed.
Parliamentary elections in Armenia are planned to be held on June 7, 2026.
The current parliament elected in 2021 consists of 107 members. The Civil Contract Party holds 69 seats in parliament, the Armenia bloc affiliated with Robert Kocharyan has 27, the "I Am Proud" bloc associated with former President Serzh Sargsyan has 6 mandates. Four deputies are non-partisan.