Le Figaro on Armenia’s Accession to the EU

On August 27, 2026, the French newspaper Le Figaro published an article about Armenia’s accession to the European Union.

Le Figaro holds a leading position in France’s media landscape and enjoys a high level of credibility. It consistently ranks among the country’s top three most widely read and influential national newspapers, alongside Le Monde and Libération. In the international SCImago Media Rankings, which assess the reputation of media websites, the newspaper has a high Authority Score of 88 out of 100.

We would like to briefly present the main points of the article.

According to the article, Armenia had long sought to maintain good relations with both Moscow and its European partners. Following its distancing from its historic ally, Russia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Yerevan might submit an official application to join the European Union. Brussels stated that it was prepared to consider such an application “with interest.”

However, despite this expressed “interest,” Brussels has no intention of admitting Armenia to the EU, Le Figaro writes. The country remains critically dependent on Russia in terms of energy and trade, while EU membership remains nothing more than an empty hope.

The European Union has no intention of admitting Armenia, either in the medium or the long term. This is an illusion. Nevertheless, the article argues, the EU is interested in using Armenia in its renewed confrontation with Russia. The situation in Armenia bears certain similarities to that in Moldova, against the backdrop of an intensified Cold War.

The political situation in Armenia is often assessed in overly simplistic terms: on one side, there is supposedly a pro-Western, pro-democracy government, while on the other stands a pro-Russian opposition aligned with authoritarian regimes. Admittedly, the opposition maintains close ties with Russia and views the Georgian model as one possible alternative. However, it does not advocate a complete break with Europe.

As for the government, it is by no means composed of committed democrats. Nikol Pashinyan is pursuing a dual policy: on the one hand, there is an unmistakable shift towards the West; on the other, there is a retreat from the principles of the rule of law, which is a serious cause for concern. Arbitrary arrests of opposition figures are becoming increasingly frequent, while confidence in the independence of the courts is declining.

The government justifies its policy by arguing that it seeks to secure peace with Azerbaijan and establish normal relations with Azerbaijan’s ally, Turkey. Azerbaijan, however, is by no means pursuing a “victors’ peace”; rather, it seeks to undermine Armenia’s viability. This is a “salami-slicing” strategy: Azerbaijan gradually weakens and fragments Armenia, step by step, taking small portions of its territory and diminishing its influence. Here, we return once again to Armenia’s geographical isolation, which leaves the country vulnerable to such tactics, the article concludes.

Armenian Association of Political Scientists