Prosperous Armenia
Prosperous Armenia Բարգավաճ Հայաստան Կուսակցություն | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Gagik Tsarukyan |
| Founded | 30 April 2004 |
| Headquarters | Yerevan |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| National affiliation | Homeland Salvation Movement (2020-2021) |
| European affiliation | Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (until 2022)[1][2] |
| Slogan | "Safe, Powerful Homeland" |
| National Assembly | 0 / 107 |
| Website | |
| http://www.bhk.am/ | |
Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP; Armenian: Բարգավաճ Հայաստան կուսակցություն, romanized: Bargavach Hayastan kusakts’ut’yun, abbreviated as ԲՀԿ BHK), is a conservative political party in Armenia.[3] It was founded by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan on 30 April 2004, when the constituent congress of the party took place.[4]
Ideologically, the party is positioned as centre-right on the political spectrum,[5] it advocates economic liberalism,[6] closer ties with Russia,[7][8] and regarding the European Union it is eurosceptic,[9][10] while on social issues they are socially conservative.[6]
Founding
Although Gagik Tsarukyan is widely credited as the founder of the PAP, Armenia's second president Robert Kocharyan is believed to have been instrumental in the creation of the party.[11] Armen Ashotyan, a close ally of former president Serzh Sargsyan, even claimed that Kocharyan himself established the PAP.[12] However, Kocharyan's influence over the party has been a subject of debate among observers of Armenian politics. In 2012, "most analysts" believed Kocharyan was "closely involved" with the party.[13] However, the more common view among political analysts today is that the PAP is a vehicle for Tsarukyan and that Kocharyan has no influence over the party.[14] In April 2026, Tsarukyan declared that the PAP would not support the candidacy of Kocharyan for prime minister in the case of an opposition victory in the 2026 Armenian parliamentary election.[15]
Ideology
The party maintains a pro-Russian stance,[16] and advocates for the preservation of national and traditional values, families, and church and state relations as the most important priorities.[17] The party also claims to support building stronger democratic and neighborly relations within the Caucasus region and with other post-Soviet states. Despite being a soft eurosceptic party, the PAP does believe in maintaining strong relations and economic partnership with the European Union.[17]
Power base
According to sociologist Karen Sargsyan, the party base largely consists of provincial rural population.[18] Kotayk Province is widely considered its stronghold. During the 2012 parliamentary election, the PAP came first and won around 47.5% of the vote in that province, well above the national average of 30%.[19] While in the 28th electoral district, which includes the city of Abovyan and several surrounding villages, the party won over 71%.[20]
Electoral record
The party debuted in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary elections, winning 25 seats and 15.1% of the votes, making it the second largest political party in parliament.
In the 2012 Armenian parliamentary elections, it more than doubled its share of the vote to 30.12%, winning 35 seats and solidifying its position as the main opposition party.
In the 2017 Armenian parliamentary election, the party participated as part of the Tsarukyan Alliance. The alliance won 31 seats.
Following the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election, the PAP lost five seats but was still the second largest party in the National Assembly and one of the two official opposition parties, the other being Bright Armenia.
In May 2021, the party confirmed it would participate in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary elections. Following the election, the party won just 3.95% of the popular vote, losing all political representation in the National Assembly. The party currently acts as an extra-parliamentary force.
Parliamentary elections
| Year | Party-list | Constituency /total | Total seats | +/– | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats /total | ||||
| 2007 | 204,483 |
15.1% |
18 / 90 |
8 / 41 |
25 / 131 |
new |
| 2012 | 454,673 |
30.12% |
28 / 90 |
9 / 41 |
35 / 131 |
 10 |
| 2017[a] | 428,965 |
27.35% |
31 / 105 |
— |  4 | |
| 2018[21][22] | 103,824 |
8.27% |
26 / 132 |
— | 5 | |
| 2021 | 50,444 |
3.95% |
0 / 107 |
— | 26 | |
| 2026 | 58,378 |
4.00% |
0 / 105 |
— |  0 | |
- ↑ As part of Tsarukyan Alliance
Presidential elections
| Year | Candidate | Votes | % | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | endorsed Serzh Sargsyan | |||
| 2013 | did not participate | |||
Local elections
Yerevan City Council elections
| Election | Mayor candidate | Votes | % | Seats in City Council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Arman Vardanyan |
89,131 |
22.65% |
17 / 65 |
| 2013 | 97,189 |
23.07% |
17 / 65 | |
| 2017 | — | |||
| 2018 | 25,218 |
6.95% |
5 / 65 | |
Activities
In 2014, the PAP and the Armenian Liberal Party signed a cooperation agreement.[23]
On 9 November 2020, the party signed a joint declaration with the other member parties of the Homeland Salvation Movement calling on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign during the 2020–2021 Armenian protests.[24]
See also
References
- ↑ "Prosperous Armenia joins AECR". Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ↑ @EuropeElects (22 September 2022). "Russia: Going forward, the pro-Putin Yedinaya Rossiya party will only be labelled as indirectly affiliated with EPP & ID after YeR's partner 'Prosperous Armenia' was removed from the ECR Party's membership, meaning there is no indirect affiliation between ECR & YeR anymore" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2007). "Armenia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011.
- ↑ Fuller, Liz (19 April 2007). "Armenia: Election Campaign Gets Off To Uneasy Start". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
- ↑ "The political framework of Armenia". Lloyds Bank.
- 1 2 "Armenia 2012: An introduction to the political party landscape" (PDF). European Friends of Armenia. 2012. pp. 9–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2016.
- ↑ Zasztowt, Konrad (9 April 2013). "Armenia between European and Eurasian Integration Models". Warsaw: Polish Institute of International Affairs. p. 1. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
...the pro-Russian party Prosperous Armenia.
- ↑ Khachatrian, Haroutiun (9 May 2007). "Armenia and Russia Agree: Foreign Policy Change Unlikely After Elections". eurasianet.org. Open Society Institute. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
Prosperous Armenia Party, an avowedly pro-Russian stance.
- ↑ Danielyan, Emil (21 March 2017). "Tsarukian Endorsed By Eurosceptic EU Politicians". azatutyun.am. RFE/RL.
- ↑ Rowley, Thomas (24 May 2019). "Why are so many Brexiteer politicians cosying up to this Armenian oligarch?". openDemocracy.
- ↑ Hale, Henry (2014). Patronal Politics. Cambridge University Press. p. 357.
...Prosperous Armenia was a kind of political insurance policy by Kocharian...
- ↑ "Ashotyan: speech of Armenian president came as response to blackmail, ignorance and stupidity". ARKA News Agency. 13 February 2015.
«Prosperous Armenia party was established as a political project of Robert Kocharyan, the second Armenian president, to divide the power resource and ensure the presence of the second president on the country's political arena,» Ashotyan said.
- ↑ Harutyunyan, Vahe (14 December 2012). "Armenian Opposition Party Shuns Key Election". Institute for War and Peace Reporting.
- ↑ "Robert Kocharyan has no relation to Prosperous Armenia - Iskandaryan". news.am. 14 January 2014.
- ↑ Avanesov, Aleksandr (9 April 2026). "Gagik Tsarukyan does not rule out the possibility of forming a coalition with Samvel Karapetyan". Arminfo. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ "Prosperous Armenia Party Stresses Importance of Expanded Security Relations with Russia". Hetq.am. 7 June 2021.
- 1 2 "Charter & Program | bhk.am". www.bhk.am. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ↑ "Realpolitik Կարեն Սարգսյանի հետ" (in Armenian). 1in.am. 14 February 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. around 6:00
- ↑ "Բարգավաճ Հայաստան Կուսակցության մարզերում ստացած ձայներն՝ ըստ տոկոսների". armlur.am (in Armenian). 14 May 2012.
- ↑ Results elections.am
- ↑ ռ/կ, Ազատություն (10 December 2018). "ԿԸՀ-ն ամփոփել է 2010 ընտրատեղամասերի արդյունքները, "Իմ քայլը" ստացել է ձայների 70,43 տոկոսը". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- ↑ "ՀՀ 7-րդ գումարման ազգային ժողովում կլինի 132 պատգամավոր. "Իմ քայլը" դաշինքը կունենա 88 մանդատ, ԲՀԿ-ն՝ 26, ԼՀԿ-ն՝ 18". www.tert.am. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- ↑ "The Liberal Party joins the People's Movement" (in Armenian). armlur.am.
- ↑ "Arminfo: 17 քաղաքական կուսակցություններ պահանջում են Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի և նրա թիմի հրաժարականը". arminfo.info.
