Pashinyan Plans “Fourth Republic” for Armenia if Re-Elected in 2026 as Baku Pressures Yerevan to Rewrite Constitution

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that if his party wins the parliamentary elections in 2026, he will begin the process of creating the Fourth Republic of Armenia. This would involve drafting a new constitution and holding a national referendum.

Pashinyan presented the plan on September 20 during the Civil Contract Party’s seventh congress, where he was re-elected as the party’s leader.

The proposed “Fourth Republic” is described as a strategic step, guided by Armenia’s state interests and lessons learned from the history of the Third Republic, which was established in 1991 after independence from the Soviet Union. Pashinyan tied this vision to the concept of “Real Armenia”, an idea he introduced earlier in 2024, urging Armenians to build their future within the country’s current borders.

Civil Contract’s declaration also pointed out Armenia’s European direction, stating that the party is committed to intensifying efforts to join the European Union. According to the plan, once re-elected with the people’s support, the government will launch a constitutional reform process through a referendum.

This announcement came at a symbolic moment. It followed the second anniversary of Azerbaijan’s brutal 2023 attack on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which forced nearly all indigenous Armenians of the region to flee their ancestral homeland. The timing also preceded the 34th anniversary of Armenia’s Independence Day, marked on September 21. While Armenian officials did not organize a public remembrance of the September 19 tragedy, President Vahagn Khachaturyan awarded state honors to citizens as part of Independence Day events.

Pashinyan’s declaration coincided with renewed pressure from Baku. On the very same day, Azerbaijan once again repeated its long-standing demand that Armenia must change its constitution before a peace treaty can be signed.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issued a statement claiming that Armenia’s constitution contained “territorial claims” against Azerbaijan. Their demand centers on Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, which references the reunification of Soviet Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh — a historical fact and a reflection of the will of both Armenian and Artsakh representatives at the time.

Azerbaijan insists this reference is an obstacle to “peace.” However, these claims are nothing more than another tool of pressure, aimed at forcing Armenia to erase its historical and legal ties to Artsakh. President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly spoken about this demand, openly declaring that there can be no treaty until Armenia amends its constitution.

At the same time, Azerbaijani officials continue to push for a corridor through Armenian territory to connect mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhijevan. This so-called Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) was mentioned during the August summit in Washington, where Armenia and Azerbaijan had initialed a draft treaty.

While Armenian officials have acknowledged the possibility of constitutional changes, they maintain that these decisions will not be dictated by Azerbaijan. The creation of a Fourth Republic, as presented by Pashinyan, is framed as part of Armenia’s own political and national evolution, not a concession to external threats.

For Armenia, this is about strengthening statehood, aligning with European values, and ensuring security for its people. For Azerbaijan, however, the issue is another excuse to continue its campaign of pressure, intimidation, and denial of Armenian rights — particularly in relation to Artsakh.

The 2023 ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s Armenians remains a wound that cannot be erased by Azerbaijan’s propaganda about “peace.” The demand to rewrite Armenia’s constitution is part of the same strategy: to force Armenia into silence about its people’s history, rights, and suffering.

—

Support independent reporting from the region by subscribing to The Armenian Report. Our team is funded solely by readers like you.