How did the 2018 protests led by Nikol Pashinyan change Armenian politics?

The 2018 protests, known as the Velvet Revolution, fundamentally transformed Armenian politics by dismantling the long-standing dominance of the Republican Party and shifting the country toward a new political era.12

Led by Nikol Pashinyan, the movement successfully forced the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, who had attempted to retain power after his presidency by transitioning to the newly empowered office of the prime minister. Following his election as prime minister in May 2018, Pashinyan’s administration initiated a broad campaign against corruption, leading to the investigation and arrest of various high-profile government figures, including former president Robert Kocharyan.12

To align the National Assembly with the popular mandate, Pashinyan resigned in October 2018 to trigger early parliamentary elections. The resulting landslide victory for his My Step Alliance effectively ousted the Republican Party from the legislature, marking a decisive break from the previous political establishment. This period established a new, more populist political dynamic, though the government later faced significant challenges following the 2020 conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.32