In this episode of Groong Week in Review for November 1, 2026, we examine regional escalation risks and domestic political turmoil in Armenia. We discuss renewed Iran War threats alongside the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process stalemate, municipal elections under government pressure, parliamentary violence endorsed by leadership, TRIPP and constitutional changes, widening strains between Azerbaijan and Turkey, Armenian Prisoners of War dossiers, and state interference in the Armenian Church—exposing a government prioritizing domestic confrontation over serious preparation for regional conflict.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA, about the 2026 US midterm elections and Armenian-American advocacy on Capitol Hill. We discuss the Armenian National Committee’s congressional report cards, the twelve lawmakers receiving F grades for their positions on Armenian interests, and how Azerbaijani influence shapes votes in Congress. Hamparian breaks down key races and the stakes for Armenian diaspora engagement in American politics.

In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed break down Armenia’s October 25, 2026 municipal elections and the stark reality of one-party rule under Pashinyan. We discuss administrative pressure, opposition arrests in Stepanavan, jailed candidates, and coerced party defections—exposing how Civil Contract dominates through control of police and judiciary rather than genuine democratic competition. We also examine Pashinyan’s threats of snap elections, constitutional changes responsive to Azerbaijani demands, and whether electoral politics can still deliver political change in Armenia.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Vache Gabrielyan about Armenia’s 2026 economic performance and fiscal challenges. We discuss structural imbalances in the economy, banking sector stability, government budget execution failures, rising public debt, and competing priorities for defense spending and economic development heading into 2027.

In this episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed break down Pashinyan’s territorial swap proposal with Azerbaijan, examining the strategic implications for Armenia’s 29,743 square kilometers and the security of border communities. We discuss the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process, contradictions between government officials on formal negotiations, inadequate housing aid for Artsakh refugees displaced during the ethnic cleansing, UN inaction on Armenian Prisoners of War, and Gyumri’s emergence as an opposition stronghold ahead of municipal elections.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur G. Martirosyan about Armenia at a crossroads in politics and security. We discuss the Shaki infiltration incident and government accountability, Pashinyan’s standoff with Russian Railways over the rail concession, nuclear energy options including Western SMRs versus Russian reactors, TRIPP’s implications for Armenian geopolitics, and environmental destruction at COP17.

In this week’s episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed examine Pashinyan’s abrupt reversal on nuclear energy policy, shifting from Western small modular reactors to consideration of a Russian gigawatt-scale plant amid surging data center demands. We discuss the security implications of long-term energy dependency, the geopolitics behind Armenia’s power infrastructure choices, and ongoing concerns about Azerbaijani infiltration, opposition unity under Samvel Karapetyan, and corruption at COP17.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Harut Sassounian about Armenia’s identity crisis amid escalating conflict between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. We discuss Catholicos Garegin II’s statements at the May 2025 World Council of Churches conference in Bern, Pashinyan’s public attacks on senior clergy, the constitutional role of the Armenian Church in national identity, and the deeper geopolitical questions surrounding Armenia-Diaspora relations following the June 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections.

In this week’s Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed mark the sixth anniversary of the 44-Day War and examine Armenia’s deepening crisis over historical memory and national identity. We discuss the Armenian government’s controversial response to September 27 commemorations, escalating tension 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 while Turkey advances regional integration plans.