Another unconstitutional interference in Church affairs by Pashinyan, says analyst

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has proposed raising the Armenian flag in churches and playing the national anthem before liturgies.

According to political analyst Hakob Badalyan, this proposal represents yet another interference in the internal affairs of the Church - something the Prime Minister has no constitutional authority to do.

“We need to understand what goals Nikol Pashinyan has set for himself. What matters now is how the political and civic groups that shape public life will position themselves and what work they will carry out with society. It is also important how the Armenian Apostolic Church responds. Clear and accessible communication between the Church and the public on this issue is essential,” Badalyan told Aysor.am.

Badalyan referred to the recent statement made by Catholicos Karekin II at the airport: “The faithful are the strength of the Church.” According to the analyst, this was an accurate assessment – but that strength depends on the Church ensuring consistent, transparent communication with the public, including explaining the situation surrounding the Church as clearly as possible.

He stressed that public attitudes will largely depend on this: “It is wrong to assume that society will automatically react negatively.”

Asked whether Pashinyan can be stopped, given his record of achieving his goals at any cost, Badalyan said:

“It is clear that state and governmental levers give Pashinyan a significant advantage in terms of available tools. The question is what public backlash his unlawful use of those tools may trigger. Of course, he can do whatever he has legal authority to do – in that case, there is no issue of backlash. But how far will society allow him to go when he exceeds that authority? That is the key question. If society allows it, he will continue. Beyond his supporters, Pashinyan has not managed to create a broad public wave and has instead relied on government levers to push forward. Where he stops will depend on the resistance he encounters. If he senses room to advance, he will naturally move forward.”

Commenting on yesterday’s statement by National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan – that the next liturgy should be held in the Mother See – Badalyan noted: “We have no grounds to consider this improbable. We have long been in a situation where nothing seems impossible anymore.”