The second day of the CE forum Democracy for Future has been marked – at least for the Armenian public – by speeches delivered by the Heritage Party member Zaruhi Postanjyan, and Head of the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly Artur Sakunts. They actually demanded Armenia’s expulsion from the Council of Europe (CE) for a poor level of democracy in the country.

The Armenian representatives’ demand seemed too severe to the members of European delegations, who know a thing or two. Some of them even defended Armenia and stated that the CE does not accept radical methods. They recalled only two expulsions – Turkey and Greece, which launched hostilities. According to the European delegates, expelling a country is not a way out of the situation nor does it facilitate its democratic development as international institutions lose control over such a country.

Naira Zohrabyan, a member of the Armenian delegation to the CE Parliamentary Assembly and Chairwoman of the Committee for European Integration, RA Parliament, pointed out the need for the CE’s tighter control over full-fledged democracies. According to her, only developing countries are now accountable to the CE, whereas developed countries’ membership is a mere formality.