"Fact" daily writes:
A layer has long been formed in the political field of Armenia, which officially presents itself as the "opposition", but in fact performs one important political function: to prevent the anti-establishment electorate from consolidating around a real change of power. These forces are different in appearance, vocabulary and style, but they have one common feature: they never attack the foundations of Nikol Pashinyan's power in such a way that it feels like a real threat.
On the contrary, they often ensure the reproduction of the current government with their very existence. Gurgen Simonyan, the head of the party called "Shonrhapetakan" has a special place in that chain. Presenting himself as a political scientist, a "nationalist" figure and the leader of a "new political force", Simonyan has recently been actively trying to occupy the field where citizens with anti-Russian sentiments but dissatisfied with Pashinyan are gathered. This is not accidental. For years, Simonyan has been strongly anti-Russian, calling for withdrawal from the CSTO, EAEU, the removal of Russian troops from Armenia and a complete change in Armenia's foreign policy direction. However, this is not the most important question. The most important thing is the political consequence. Today, the main problem of Nikol Pashinyan is not only the drop in rating, but also the fact that a large part of the society no longer believes in his promises. Therefore, the government needs "false alternatives" that will be able to gather disaffected but ideologically misguided voters. This is where the role of satellites begins. Gurgen Simonyan tries to present himself as a "defender of the national interest", but in reality all his political activities lead to the same point: the fragmentation of the opposition field and the dispersion of the electorate, which is dangerous for Pashinyan. He can sometimes criticize Pashinyan, speak loudly about statehood, but he never forms such a political agenda that can create a real unity against the current government.
This is a classic political technology. to create a controlled "opposition" that will take the Protestant votes, but will not turn into a resource for a change of power. In the case of Simonyan, the problem is even deeper. He is trying to play on national sentiments while promoting the same ideological line that has been used by Pashinyan's government for years to divide the society, make enemies of traditional allies and replace the real political agenda. His political behavior is more and more reminiscent not of an independent opposition figure, but of a project beneficial to the government.
The activities of Aram Sargsyan, Levon Shirinyan and Arman Babajanyan also fit into the same political logic. Aram Sargsyan presented himself as a "democratic" and pro-Western politician for years, but in practical politics he often found himself in positions that objectively contributed to the agenda of the current government. His main political theses almost completely coincide with Pashinyan's foreign policy line. For years, Aram Sargsyan presented himself as a "democratic" and pro-Western politician, but in practical politics, he often found himself in positions that objectively contributed to the current government's agenda. His main political theses almost completely coincide with Pashinyan's foreign policy line. Levon Shirinyan and Arman Babajanyan even participated in the elections as a political alliance, forming an openly pro-Western and anti-Russian pole. They always came out with the same ideological emphases: criticism of the CSTO, harsh rhetoric against Russia, propaganda of Western integration and "danger of the return of the former" theses. But if in the case of Babajanyan or Shirinyan, a significant part of the society understood their real political place long ago, then in the case of Gurgen Simonyan, there are still people who continue to perceive him as a "new", "independent" or "national" figure. This is its main danger. False patriotism is always more dangerous than an open opponent. The public sees the obvious opponent immediately, and the political satellites act in a different way: they take the righteous anger of the people and lead it to a dead end. Today it is already obvious that Pashinyan's power is held not only by the administrative resources of the CP, but also by the "false oppositionists" who do not allow a part of the society to unite around a real political change. And in that system, Gurgen Simonyan has become one of the most active and most dangerous satellites, the "national" one. serving the same government that he is allegedly fighting against.
