The high expectations of the public are the most dangerous factor posing a threat to the legitimacy of the incumbent authorities. This is what Director of the Regional Studies Center NGO Richard Giragosian said during a conference dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the EU Eastern Partnership on 4 April.

According to him, the major difference between the former and current governments is that the current government is legitimate, but the public’s expectations pose a greater risk for the government than even external threats. He added that the political events of the past year can’t be referred to as revolution, but it is safe to claim that everything was done non-violently.

Touching upon the cooperation with the EU, the analyst emphasized that the EU can’t be viewed as an ATM machine, meaning a structure from which one can simply “pull money from”. “Armenia is the only country in the region that poses no threat to its neighbors. Armenia doesn’t want NATO and doesn’t want to become a country like Georgia. Armenia only has to use the experience that the EU is offering for the implementation of reforms,” Richard Giragosian added.