Armenian political figure Vahe Hovhannisyan, a member of the Alternative Projects group, stated on Facebook that the failure of the Third Republic resulted from the disconnection between intellectual thought, national capital, and political institutions. According to him, these elements developed in isolation, culminating in the rule of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

He emphasized that “the process of removing Nikol and the post-Pashinyan period carry serious risks.”

Reflecting on his participation in the book launch of political analyst Tigran Hayrapetyan, Hovhannisyan highlighted the author’s notion that a state demands thought, and no one will think on behalf of the nation.

“We must generate ideas within our country. Without thought, there will be no development. For today’s thoughtless Armenia, this sounds like a message of revival. Mindlessness—celebrated ignorance, the absence of opinion—is seen as a prerequisite for success.”

Hovhannisyan argued that this lack of thought has accompanied Armenia for too long, permeating its political, state, and public institutions. Meanwhile, national capital, he claimed, operated under primitive notions, with near-zero accountability and civilization standards.

He remarked that until recently, the landscape of Armenian state thinking was dominated by a moral-ethical preachiness imported from across the ocean. Armenian homes, schools, courtyards, and kitchens were filled with it. The threats from “preachers” to invade people's homes, he said, summed up the nation’s decline.

“But even that is not the most dangerous part. If we look back at the last 20–25 years in parliamentary factions, what percentage were illiterate, incapable of composing even a single sentence? How many semi-literate, criminal ministers, governors, and mayors have we had over the decades? What is left to be surprised about?” he wrote.

Hovhannisyan noted that in Armenia, public office has been perceived as a platform for making money and then stepping aside.

“How many high-ranking officials left Armenia immediately after stepping down? How many ministers and even presidents? This isn’t a labor site abroad—it’s our state, yet it was oddly perceived as an ownerless space.”

He recalled warning in 2018 that a revolution of voters swayed by 10,000 drams (approx. $25) was dangerous. “Voting for 10,000 drams and deifying Nikol are both expressions of the absence of thought. And what have we done to create a better society or citizen? Nothing. Our mindlessness led to a complete misunderstanding of the state’s very purpose.”

Now, with no good scenarios in sight and a world that permits the bombing of cities, destruction, forced displacement, and genocide, he said that thought becomes the most vital factor that can formulate paths to salvation.

“The process of removing Nikol and the post-Pashinyan period carries serious risks. Armenia’s postwar recovery demands serious intellect, a clear worldview, proper understanding of time and opportunity, and the right language to engage with the world. And, of course, honesty.”

Hovhannisyan described today’s Armenia as divided: those with a sense of statehood live one way (on the brink of despair), the wealthy live another, and the masses yet another. He warned that this division will make the future extremely difficult.

He concluded that the primary task of future leadership must be achieving harmony among state thought, national capital, and institutions.

“The question remains: do those aspiring to leadership understand this? After all this, will thought finally become Armenia’s most precious asset—or will things remain the same?” he wrote.