ANN/Groong — The English-Language Armenian Podcast

Groong Links:

• GIVE to GROONG
• linktr.ee/Groong

Topics:

• Iran War Risks and Yemen
• Municipal Elections Under Pressure
• Parliamentary Brawl and Political Provocation
• TRIPP and Constitutional Changes
• Strains Between Azerbaijan and Turkey
• Armenian Prisoners and Political Will
• State Interference in the Church

Episode 599 | Recorded: November 1, 2026

#Armenia #IranWar #ArmenianPolitics #TRIPP #TurkeyAzerbaijan #ArmenianPrisoners #ArmenianChurch

• EP597: Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia’s October 25, 2026 municipal elections, exposing how Civil Contract maintains one-party dominance through administrative pressure, opposition arrests, and control of the police and judiciary rather than competitive democracy.
• EP598: Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA, discusses the Armenian National Committee’s 2026 congressional report cards, twelve lawmakers receiving F grades for their positions on Armenian interests, and how Azerbaijani influence shapes votes in Congress.

Groong Links:

• GIVE to GROONG
• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest(s):

• Aram Suren Hamparian

Topics:

• ANCA’s 2026 Congressional Report Cards
• The 12 Congressional F Grades
• Abe Hamadeh, TRIPP, and Armenian Interests
• Azerbaijani Influence on Capitol Hill
• Armenian-American Allies in Congress
• Key Races in the 2026 Midterms

Episode 598 | Recorded: October 27, 2026

#ANCA #ArmenianAmerican #USMidterms2026 #Congress #ArmenianAffairs #ArmenianAdvocacy #AzerbaijanLobby

Groong Links:

• GIVE to GROONG
• linktr.ee/Groong

Topics:

• Municipal elections and one-party dominance
• Opposition arrests ahead of Stepanavan elections
• Pashinyan’s threats of snap elections
• Constitutional changes and Azerbaijani demands
• Can elections bring political change?
• Government bonuses, cronyism, and accountability
• Remembering Rita Vorperian and Osheen Keshishian

Episode 597 | Recorded: October 25, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #NikolPashinyan #ArmenianElections #OppositionCrackdown #SnapElections #ConstitutionalReform #DemocracyUnderThreat

Groong Links:

• GIVE to GROONG
• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest(s):

• Vache Gabrielyan

Topics:

• Armenia’s 2026 economic performance and structural imbalances
• Construction boom and housing market risks
• Consumer credit growth and weak industrial productivity
• Systemic failures in government budget execution
• Armenia’s 2027 budget priorities and fiscal risks
• Rising public debt and debt servicing costs
• Defense spending and competing budget priorities
• High-tech investments, AI, and economic sustainability

Episode 596 | Recorded: October 23, 2026

#ArmenianEconomy #EconomicGrowth #Armenia2026

Groong Links:

• GIVE to GROONG
• linktr.ee/Groong

Topics:

• Pashinyan’s territorial swap proposal with Azerbaijan
• COP17 controversies and environmental double standards
• UN inaction on Armenian POWs
• Inadequate housing aid for Artsakh refugees
• Municipal elections and alleged government pressure
• Gyumri’s growing role as an opposition stronghold

Episode 595 | Recorded: October 21, 2026

#Armenia #Azerbaijan #Pashinyan #TerritorialSwap #COP17 #ArmenianPOWs #ArtsakhRefugees #Gyumri

Groong Links:

• GIVE to GROONG
• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest(s):

• Arthur G. Martirosyan

Topics:

• Azeri Soldier Infiltration and Shaki Shooting
• Government Accountability and Border Security Failures
• Russian Railways and Armenia’s Strategic Options
• Nuclear Power: Russian Reactors vs. Western SMRs
• TRIPP and Armenia’s Geopolitical Balancing Act
• COP17, Environmental Destruction, and Appeasing Azerbaijan

Episode 594 | Recorded: October 16, 2026

#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition

Groong Links:

• GIVE to GROONG
• linktr.ee/Groong

Topics:

• Pashinyan’s Nuclear Policy U-Turn
• Azerbaijani Infiltration Into Shaki
• Karapetyan To Unite The Opposition?
• COP17 Spending Corruption
• Pashinyan’s Broken Environmental Promises

Episode 593 | Recorded: October 13, 2026

#Armenia #Pashinyan #NuclearEnergy #Azerbaijan #NationalSecurity #SamvelKarapetyan #Corruption #Amulsar

• EP591: Hovik and Asbed mark the sixth anniversary of the 44-Day War while examining Armenia’s deepening crisis over historical memory, escalating tensions between the state and the Armenian Church, international concern over election integrity, and Armenia’s isolated position as Azerbaijan demolishes Artsakh’s Armenian cultural heritage.
• EP592: Harut Sassounian examines Armenia’s identity crisis amid escalating conflict between Pashinyan’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, discussing Catholicos Garegin II’s statements at the May 2025 World Council of Churches conference in Bern, state attacks on senior clergy, the constitutional role of the Church in national identity, and Armenia-Diaspora relations following the June 2026 parliamentary elections.