The Western world is in deep turmoil. The upcoming presidential elections in the United States in November will be pivotal for the country. The US can now be considered a culturally fractured nation, and the struggle is not about tax policy or similar issues, as before, but about the value system, traditional American conservatism and neoliberalism.
It is extremely dangerous to hold elections in civilized but fractured countries because, regardless of the election outcome, the losing party may not recognize the results. It is no coincidence that the topic of civil war is now seriously discussed in contemporary discourse and films. At least in people’s minds, the taboo around civil war is being broken, and psychologically, the concept is becoming more understandable.
Similar processes are unfolding in Europe, where right-wing parties are poised for unprecedented success in the European Parliament elections in June, potentially securing a third of the seats. This shift will change the political landscape of Europe, and more right-wing governments, following the examples of Hungary and Slovakia, are expected to be established.
In short, the world is beginning to change, and this shift carries significant consequences. Domestically, right-wing parties are pursuing tougher policies on immigration and adhering to traditional values. In terms of foreign policy, they prioritize national interests over the ideological provisions of liberal internationalism.
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Naturally, these changes will directly affect Armenia and our region. The incumbent government has failed in many respects and is now at war with all components of national identity, including the spiritual sphere. This conflict has not gone without consequences, and the response has come from the expected quarter—the church. After the political opposition’s efforts were exhausted and failed to produce desired results, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the prelate of the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, took on the responsibility of leading a new movement, which is a logical phenomenon.
The so-called conspiracy of 2018, whether termed “velvet,” “non-violent,” or “popular,” was in fact a premature power grab that brought only death and destruction. The public is now inclined to raise the banner of conservatism and the preservation of identity. That banner has already been raised, and the church’s temporary entry into politics is a symbolic act heralding the end of the liberal era in Armenia and the beginning of a revival of progressive conservatism, a period consistent with the current stage of civilization.
ACNIS (The Armenian Center for National and International Studies)