If a citizen is convinced that everyone is lying, he loses the desire to find the truth. According to another key interpretation of Arendt’s idea, in dictatorial systems, the struggle never ends. If one “enemy” is eliminated, another appears in its place. After all, the entire political system is anchored in the idea of struggle, and the regime constantly needs a new “enemy” to keep the public consolidated within its sight.
Now let us turn to Armenia, where almost all shades characteristic of totalitarianism and authoritarianism can be found. The “enemies” of the current regime are subjects familiar to all of us: “Artsakh Armenians who fled the war,” “corrupt former officials,” “spies working for the RF,” “perverted clergy,” “people taking money to vote for the opposition,” and so forth. Similar to many dictatorial systems in the world, the authorities in Armenia also strive to keep all spheres of public life under broad control by misusing judicial bodies, tax authorities, the police, administrative levers, and propaganda tools.
Hannah Arendt’s theory manifests in Armenia’s public sphere very frequently through accusations of “foreign influence agents,” “espionage,” “high treason,” or “anti-state activity,” as well as through the polarization of society and the generation of internal hatred and enmity. Thus, in any society, a dangerous situation arises when political struggle is replaced by an endless search for an “enemy,” and the citizen proves powerless to independently analyze facts and consistently demand accountability from their elected officials.
Read more at ACNIS reView from Yerevan #31, 2026 of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS).
