Karapetyan is banking on the confrontation between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the current government led by Nikol Pashinyan. Despite the Church’s significant influence, Pashinyan has taken it upon himself to challenge what he views as the Church’s dubious moral authority, often invoked by Catholicos Karekin II in his anti-government rhetoric. While clergy cite Pashinyan’s cohabitation with Anna Hakobyan and alleged illegitimate children, the prime minister appears to possess a more damaging arsenal of facts against the Church’s leadership — with apparent evidence to support his claims.
The clergy, instrumental in efforts to oust the current government, frequently manipulates nationalist themes, invoking the “loss of statehood” and the notion of “recovering Karabakh.” These campaigns — led by Karekin II and figures like Bagrat Galstanyan — have opened the door for Russian oligarch Karapetyan to enter the political arena. Following the failure of the Ruben Vardanyan project, Pashinyan’s opponents are now pinning their hopes on Karapetyan.
However, the average Armenian, scarred by the Karabakh wars and military actions by Azerbaijan’s armed forces, is unlikely to rally behind the clergy’s political platform. Even moralizing statements from a “big brother” about Karabakh’s disputed status no longer resonate with many Armenians, who are wary of provoking another devastating military response from their better-prepared neighbor.
As for Karapetyan, his sudden passion for Armenia’s sovereignty, security, and dignity appears belated and opportunistic. Even with parliamentary elections approaching next year, it is far from certain that the Church and its Russian sponsors will commit their full resources to securing a victory for the opposition or recover their political investments.
Karapetyan’s open calls to seize power have landed him in custody for at least two months. Anti-Pashinyan forces, including clerics-turned-politicians, have rushed to defend the Russian passport holder. Even former “Artsakh Security Council Secretary” Vitaly Balasanyan — who fled from Karabakh in disgrace — joined the chorus of support.
“I consider the unlawful actions taken against national philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan unacceptable,” Balasanyan wrote on social media. His statement, however, reads more like the posturing of a keyboard warrior in military garb of a defunct separatist entity than a serious political message.
Overall, the resurgence of revanchist sentiments in Armenia poses a threat not only to Azerbaijan but to regional stability. Should this trend continue, Baku may respond appropriately — which could mean war. Azerbaijan will not sit idly by while revanchist movements gather strength near its borders and may take preventive action.
To avoid future retreats or tactical “negative offensives,” Armenians must consider the consequences for themselves and their children. Citizens of this economically fragile state would do well to embrace logic, pragmatism, and constructive engagement with their neighbors — rather than chasing delusions fuelled by pseudo-heroes and opportunists who would flee at the first sign of danger, as separatist leaders did.
Former presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan — both implicated in war crimes and long known for political adventurism — continue to stoke tensions with provocative statements, steering Armenia toward a revanchist agenda. Instead of inflaming nationalist passions, they might reflect on how their allies fled under Azerbaijani drone fire, escaping Karabakh before military orders were even issued. Are they themselves ready to return to the battlefield? Unlikely. They seem to hope others — the war-weary or the expendable — will fight in their place.
Shouting slogans in a crowd is easy. But it’s the ordinary people who pay the price while skilled orators pack their bags and flee.
One can only hope that Armenians are not prepared to expand the cemetery at Yerablur or lose their statehood altogether — a likely outcome if the country fails to sober up and push back decisively against the revanchists.
Alla Zeydullayeva
Translated from minval.az
