Liberalism in Armenia
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This article gives an overview of liberalism in Armenia. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament.
Background
In the struggle for independence at the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century a national liberal current arose.
History
Though there were some attempts to refound the national liberal current after independence, these attempts were unsuccessful. However, the Republican Party of Armenia (Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun, not included below) joined the ELDR group in the Council of Europe.
From Armenakan Party to Democratic Liberal Party
- 1885: National liberals formed the Armenakan Party
- 1908: The Armenakan Party merged with a faction of the Reorganised Hunchak Party into the Ramgavar Party
- 1921: The Ramgavar Party merged in exile with the Liberal Party into the Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar Azadagan Party). This party continued in exile and is said to be represented in the first parliament after Armenian independence in the 1990s
Liberal Party
- 1918: A liberal anti-violence faction of the Reorganised Hunchak Party' formed the Liberal Party (Azadagan Party)
- 1921: In exile the Liberal Party merged into the Democratic Liberal Party
Developments
- Armenia is a full member of the Council of Europe, the Eastern Partnership, and the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, all of which support the development and maintenance of democratic values in Armenia.
- In December 2016, the Way Out Alliance, emerged as a liberal political alliance in Armenia. The alliance has a Pro-European orientation and believes that Armenia should have closer relations with the European Union.
- As a result of the 2018 Armenian protests, Nikol Pashinyan was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia on May 9 2018. His party, Civil Contract (Armenia), belongs to the Way Out Alliance liberal coalition.