Armenia needs steadfast and skilled leader – The People Speak

As part of “The People Speak” project, Alpha News conducted surveys in Yerevan and Armenian-populated communities in the United States and Russia to determine citizens’ opinions on the most pressing issues of the day.

During the survey, citizens commented on the issue of building relations with Turkey.

“I would not want Armenia to turn into something resembling Batumi in any way. Historically, for centuries it has been the case that it is difficult to establish normal friendly relations with the Turks,” noted one of the survey participants.

Another citizen remarked that relations with Turkey require time—just as Germany once apologized to the Jews. However, according to him, at present it is impossible to achieve such relations with the Turks.

“I am Armenian, I love my nation and my people. My roots are from Abkhazia; my ancestors migrated from Turkey, and all of this has affected my family. I want to say that we should not isolate ourselves from others—we must cooperate, build bridges of peace, but at the same time always maintain our own strength so that, if necessary, we can secure and defend ourselves,” said another respondent.

Commenting on the security situation in Armenia, citizens expressed concern and stressed that the country must be able to defend its borders.

“Right now, Armenia is in a terrible security situation. The defeat in Artsakh showed that with the current authorities we can achieve nothing; it is necessary to change the government. During the war, the entire Diaspora united and was ready to provide any support, to invest all resources. But we saw the actions of these pro-Turkish authorities, with whom it is impossible to achieve anything good,” one respondent noted.

When asked what Armenia’s next leader should be like, citizens stressed that he must be pro-Armenian and defend Armenia’s interests: “Only pro-Armenian, with Armenian ideas. I think throughout history that is what has united us. The future leader must be fully pro-Armenian, to defend exclusively Armenia’s interests.”

According to the citizens, Armenia’s future leader must also be steadfast and skilled.

“The future leader of Armenia must possess inner strength, be unwavering and politically skilled. He must be a dignified statesman, with experience and a personal history, someone who has already proven himself and demonstrated his strength,” added one of the participants.

Respondents also noted that the head of state must be patriotic and faithful.

“First of all, he must be patriotic, faithful to our faith, literate, educated—for example, like Samvel Karapetyan or Narek Karapetyan. We fully support the Our Way movement. Samvel Karapetyan showed that much can be achieved without administrative resources,” said one of the citizens.

Citizens also emphasized that the Armenian Apostolic Church has always been independent and must continue to develop on its own, without political interference.

“I strongly condemn what is happening in Armenia. The current authorities are traitors, enemies of the state. Pashinyan began his campaign against the Church right after Azerbaijani Pashazade declared that the only force left to us is the Church. For more than 1,700 years it has protected our language, our faith, and our people. Thanks to the Church, today we have a state. That is why they want to strike at the Church—if they could not do it from outside, they are trying from within,” stressed one of the respondents.

According to respondents, the Church is a moral compass that must guide people.

“The Church must not depend on the state. It lives its own life, and the state its own. The Church is a moral institution that guides people, but each person chooses their own compass. The intersection of politics and the Church is beyond limits. The Church must remain the Church—that is something within each of us,” one of the survey participants concluded.