Vahe Hovhannisyan: The Armenian People Faces a New Large-Scale Government Program – the “Gypsyzation” of Armenians
July 18, 2025 – Verelq.am has published the opinion of Vahe Hovhannisyan, a member of the Alternative Projects Group, in response to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s press conference.
“In the course of the 4.5-hour press conference, the region and the Armenian people were presented with two major projects:
- A sovereign non-state
- The 'gypsyzation' of Armenians
It was a clear political program, and the response to it must be exclusively with a political formula. It should not be underestimated in any way, even if it is flavored with hours of nuances.
Within the newly constructed architecture of the South Caucasus, Armenia is prepared to become a sovereign non-state. That is exactly what was stated. The audience understood it. And the Armenian people were presented with a new large-scale state initiative—the 'gypsyzation' of Armenians.
“Ten years ago, Russia adopted the concept of sovereign democracy and began moving in that direction. Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Israel embraced a model of sovereign disorder. Europe opted for sovereign unpredictability. Georgia chose sovereign seriousness, and so on. Now it is Armenia’s turn - and the current prime minister has clearly defined the path: sovereign ‘gypsyzation.’
This ‘gypsyzation’ of Armenians is being presented as a new, logical national project. And at this moment, there is only one way to resist it: we need a clear political formula, and groups capable of presenting it to the people.
Let me repeat: the government’s proposed projects must not be underestimated. They cannot be countered by today’s prevailing reactions - angry slogans, protests, outrage, mockery, or threats. None of these are effective against a clearly articulated political program. What we need is a serious, rational, and honest alternative vision supported by political and civic forces that are ready to promote it.
Ask yourself: did the people of Palestine or Gaza fully grasp what was coming? Did the people of Artsakh understand the entire process - did they know they would lose their homeland in two days? Even the leaders and elites didn’t realize it until the very end. The same will happen in Armenia.
It is only after the fact that people recognize the scale of the catastrophe they’ve lived through - a disaster organized with cold calculation in the rooms of well-educated men in suits. A disaster that counts on people not noticing what’s happening until it’s too late. And finally, it wouldn’t even be a proper disaster if it weren’t accompanied by the empty rhetoric of the international community - calls for ‘restraint’ and other meaningless phrases. Meanwhile, the number of casualties and shattered lives has reached hundreds of thousands, right before the world’s eyes - in the 21st century.
The same fate awaits us: bold cessions will be applauded.
Armenia has all the possibilities to counteract such prospects. What required is a well-programmed guidance, politically-correct formulations and an honest dialogue with own people.” Yet Armenia still has every opportunity to resist this trajectory. What’s needed is structured leadership, politically sound language, and an honest dialogue with our own people.”
