There is a member of parliament who was initially in the opposition, then became “independent,” but in reality aligned with the authorities. That is normal — part of the political process — and not the point here. Before becoming an MP, he was a well-known public figure and journalist, and however much I may have disagreed with him on certain issues, I would never have imagined him speaking to any woman using insults. I am confident that never happened. The “transformation” came after he joined Civil Contract party, and the reason lies not in his personal traits.
This is not a personal matter, which is why I am not naming him. It is simply that such behavior is imposed by the current ruling political team — other forms of conduct are not possible within it. “Noblesse oblige,” as our beloved French say — meaning that status entails obligations. Profanity and cynicism have become the defining requirement of this peculiar, Civil Contract–style “nobility.”
The current director of the National Security Service of Armenia, Andranik Simonyan, has worked in the law enforcement system since 2012 and, according to the information I have, served with honor. Would it ever have crossed his mind during those years to refer to the Catholicos of All Armenians as “Ktrich Nersisyan”? No — that is what is expected of him now: to display insolence and lack of restraint in order to belong to that team. Even though, by law, he is not supposed to act as a political figure. Then again, the Prosecutor General is not supposed to engage in politics either — yet we see…
Before becoming MPs, would any member of Civil Contract have thought of addressing an 80-year-old person with the informal “you”? (even setting aside the fact that he is the first president of Armenia.) This manner of speaking is not rooted in their genetics or their upbringing. But to earn their leader’s approval, they are effectively obliged to play the role of a hooligan.
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Power, of course, often corrupts people (though there are exceptions). Bodyguards, servants, flattery, proximity to “those at the very top” — all of this is tempting. But beyond these usual temptations, the current authorities also face a clear imposition: the requirement to be “Nikol-style.”
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
