Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s party secured nearly half of the vote in parliamentary elections, according to results published on June 8, prompting congratulations from Western leaders and criticism from Moscow as the country’s geopolitical alignment comes under renewed focus.

While Pashinyan declared victory and said his party had won a “clear mandate” to continue reforms, the final distribution of parliamentary seats has yet to be confirmed, and the ruling party fell short of a two-thirds majority required to push through constitutional changes linked to a peace process with Azerbaijan.

The Central Electoral Commission said Pashinyan’s pro-European Civil Contract Party won 49.8% of ballots, followed by the opposition Strong Armenia bloc with 23.3%, and the Armenia bloc with 9.9%.

The Prosperous Armenia Party fell below the 4% threshold needed for parliamentary representation, securing 4.0% of votes.

Voter turnout stood at 58.94%, with 1,477,736 of 2,507,216 registered voters participating, according to the commission.

The election was widely seen as a test of Armenia’s political direction, with Pashinyan seeking to deepen ties with the European Union and the United States while managing strained relations with Russia.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s election observation mission OSCE/ODIHR said the vote was well organised and offered voters clear political choices, though it noted a highly polarised campaign environment and reports of pressure and hybrid interference.

The European Union said the election demonstrated Armenia’s commitment to democracy and reform. In a statement issued on behalf of the bloc, EU officials urged all political actors to respect the results and highlighted Armenia’s “democratic resilience”, while signalling continued support for closer cooperation.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the result, saying it reflected a shift toward closer European integration.

British Ambassador Alexandra Cole also welcomed the conduct of the vote, saying in a statement that the UK would continue to support Armenia’s democratic institutions and work with the incoming government on regional stability and economic reform.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Pashinyan, saying Ukraine was ready to deepen cooperation and urging stronger European engagement with Armenia’s reform path.

In contrast, Russian officials questioned the integrity of the election. Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the vote had taken place “amidst severe repression”, claims that were not supported by international observers.

The Kremlin has increasingly criticised Yerevan’s westward shift, particularly after Armenia moved to suspend participation in Russia-led security frameworks and expanded dialogue with Brussels and Washington.

Opposition leader Samvel Karapetyan, head of the Strong Armenia bloc, rejected the outcome, alleging irregularities and political pressure, while authorities reported dozens of investigations into alleged electoral violations.