The 2026 elections could mark the final reckoning between Armenia’s past and future, says OBCT

Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was last week placed in two-month pre-trial detention for allegedly calling for the overthrow of the Armenian government, Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa writes.

As noted, it also marked another turning point in what has now become a full-blown political and ideological war between Armenia’s post-revolutionary leadership and an entrenched religious establishment.

At the center is Karekin II, head of the centuries-old Armenian Apostolic Church, long considered a pillar of national identity but now clearly viewed by Pashinyan as an obstacle to plans to normalize relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The latest clash started with a string of public attacks from Pashinyan posted on social media. Karekin II’s supporters say the attacks violate the Armenian criminal code. With parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2026, the timing is also seen by many as political, especially after church involvement in opposition protests in 2022 and 2024.

Pashinyan’s government accuses the Armenian Church of violating the constitutional separation of church and state by opposing the fragile peace process with Azerbaijan and meddling in domestic politics. Critics say Pashinyan is violating the same principle by seeking to oust Karekin II through a newly proposed mechanism that would prepare the ground for replacing him.

Pashinyan has made it clear that eradicating the legacy of Kocharyan and Sargsyan is central to his vision of a new Armenia. That includes taking on the business clans remaining loyal to them and the Church.

“With the 2026 elections drawing closer, this confrontation could prove a final reckoning between Armenia’s past and future. What began as a political skirmish between Pashinyan and a defiant clergy is now a full-scale struggle over Armenia and national identity in the post-Karabakh era,” the publication states.