When it comes to macron backs armenia’s pro-europe pm as re-election campaign draws to close, emmanuel Macron threw his support behind Armenia's prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, during a state visit to Yerevan, arguing that the country's future lies with Europe as elections approach next month. The French president's intervention followed a gathering of more than 40 European leaders and sharpened Armenia's debate over Russia.
Understanding Macron Backs Armenia’s Pro-Europe PM As Re-election Campaign Draws To Close
Pashinyan faces a difficult bid to extend his eight-year rule. Three pro-Russia or nationalist parties are seeking to remove him, accusing the prime minister of conceding too much to Azerbaijan in his pursuit of peace. They're also likely to challenge Macron's remarks as interference in Armenia's internal politics. Originally reported by The Guardian.
Unlike the leaders of neighbouring Georgia, Pashinyan has become increasingly explicit about wanting closer alignment with Europe. Macron's endorsement puts France firmly behind that direction, making Armenia's foreign-policy choice a central issue in an already contentious campaign.
France has one of Europe's largest Armenian expatriate communities, and Macron has long advocated a European path for Yerevan. His visit sought to show that choosing Europe isn't merely a geopolitical position: it can bring practical changes for ordinary Armenians.
With Macron's encouragement, more than 40 leaders assembled in Yerevan on Monday for the European Political Community, which brings together EU and non-EU countries. At the first Armenia-EU summit on Tuesday morning, the bloc offered visa and trade liberalisation. Those offers gave the diplomatic gathering a practical focus beyond its message of support for Pashinyan's European ambitions.
Macron challenges Russia's security promise
Addressing the summit, Emmanuel Macron said: "Many have long thought that Armenia's destiny is possible only under the patronage of Russia." He argued that events in Nagorno-Karabakh had exposed the failure of that security promise.
Azerbaijan's offensives in 2020 and 2023, and the mass displacement of tens of thousands of Armenians from the disputed territory, underpin the rupture described by Macron. Russia didn't intervene. For Armenia, the aftermath has become central to the argument over whether its security and prosperity should remain tied to Moscow.
Emmanuel Macron said: "We saw that Russia abandoned Armenia, we understood that greatest dreams are not reality," directly challenging the idea that Russian protection offered a dependable foundation for the country's future.
That's a significant intervention before an election. Pashinyan's opponents cast his dealings with Azerbaijan as excessive compromise; Macron instead presented the search for peace and a European orientation as a route away from dependency. His endorsement doesn't erase the domestic dispute over concessions, but it gives the prime minister an international platform from which to defend his direction. It also makes France's preference unmistakable as Armenian voters weigh competing claims about sovereignty, security and the costs of reconciliation.
Open borders and a wider Caucasus ambition
With economic growth at 6%, Macron expressed hope that the "Armenian moment" would extend beyond the country. Emmanuel Macron said: "I would like the Armenian moment to also become the moment of the entire Caucasus. I have two convictions. First, the south Caucasus should not be an arena for the competition of empires, and second, the region can become a crossroads between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
"For this, it is necessary to open the borders. I hope that our neighbours will show the same courage as you and follow the path of peace, democracy and prosperity.
"The borders must be fully opened, including with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and they must also operate without restrictions with Georgia."
Beyond the region, Macron urged an alliance of independent states to defend the rule of law. Lasting peace, he argued, can't be dictated by the strongest, rest on double standards or disregard the international order established in 1945.
On Yerevan's streets, Macron appeared to receive a warm reception. At a state dinner, his performance of Charles Aznavour's La Bohème, with Pashinyan accompanying him on drums, went viral.
Next month's election will test whether Pashinyan can translate that European support into another mandate while defending his peace efforts against opponents determined to end his rule.
Originally reported by The Guardian. View original.