ANN/Groong — The English-Language Armenian Podcast

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Guest:

• Edgar Elbakyan

Topics:

• Armenia’s existential election
• Polling under fear
• Divergent polling results
• Church and state conflict
• Post-election street pressure

Episode 549 | Recorded: May 22, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #EdgarElbakyan #StrongArmenia #ArmeniaAlliance #ArmeniaElections

• EP547: We examine Pashinyan’s violent campaign rhetoric, the abuse of state resources ahead of Armenia’s June 7 election, selective law enforcement against the opposition, the worsening Armenia-Russia relationship, and the vandalism of an Armenian church in Javakhk.
• EP548: We survey all 17 parties and 2 alliances registered for Armenia’s June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections, walking through each participant’s leadership, polling numbers, platform, and geopolitical orientation.
• EP549: Political scientist Edgar Elbakyan joins the hosts to examine Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary election as a potential existential contest, covering polling methodology under fear, divergent survey results, the crowded political field, and whether opposition parties are prepared for a post-election confrontation.

Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary campaign turned sharply confrontational as security forces raided opposition offices, Russia escalated economic pressure through export bans, and Pashinyan announced new railway connectivity through Turkey while signaling further territorial concessions to Azerbaijan.

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Topics:

• Armenia’s election rules
• Parties and alliances competing
• MPG polling and thresholds
• Opposition challenges and turnout
• Geopolitical positions heatmap

Episode 548 | Recorded: May 22, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianElections #ArmenianPolitics #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #HayastanDashinq

Groong Links:

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Topics:

• Trump, China, and Iran
• Armenia-Russia “soft divorce”
• Pashinyan’s violent campaign rhetoric
• State resources and election pressure
• Javakhk church vandalism concerns

Episode 547 | Recorded: May 18, 2026

#Pashinyan #ArmeniaElections #ArmenianPolitics #PoliticalViolence #HateSpeech #ArmeniaRussia #IranWar #SouthCaucasus

Groong Links:

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Guest(s):

• Arman Grigoryan

Topics:

• Revolutionary recklessness after 2020
• Armenia’s pivot away from Russia
• Artsakh’s surrender and strategic reorientation
• TRIPP, Syunik, and security guarantees
• Western backing, Armenian risk

Episode 546 | Recorded: May 13, 2026

#ArmanGrigoryan #Armenia #Russia #Pashinyan #Artsakh #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Geopolitics

Groong Links:

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Topics:

• EPC fallout and Russia response
• Armenia-EU declaration controversies
• Pashinyan’s Artsakh campaign narrative
• Aliyev-Pashinyan tag-team messaging
• Swiss Peace Initiative
• Pollsters diverge on election forecasts

Episode 545 | Recorded: May 12, 2026

#WeekInReview #Armenia #SwissPeaceInitiative #NagornoKarabakh #Artsakh

Groong Links:

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Guest(s):

• Anna Grigoryan

Topics:

• Election campaign and opposition strategy
• EPC, EU-Armenia summit, and foreign influence
• Foreign policy, security, and regional risks
• Domestic priorities and election integrity

Episode 544 | Recorded: May 9, 2026

#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaElections #HayastanDashinq #EPCSummit #TRIPP #Artsakh

Groong Links:

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Guest(s):

• Nare Navasardyan
• Hovhannes Ishkhanyan

Topics:

• EU role in Armenia’s elections
• Fact-checkers and political bias
• Dissent labeled as disinformation
• Lawsuits, pressure, and intimidation
• Censorship and social media control

Episode 543 | Recorded: May 7, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianElections #EU #Disinformation #FactChecking #Censorship #CivilSociety #FreeSpeech