I definitely agree with the statement that free elections are not enough to have a democracy. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia stated this in his remarks Wednesday at the Armenian Forum for Democracy being held in Yerevan.

"It is very important that democracy and free elections lead to the establishment of democratic institutions. Without it, it is not possible to make democracy institutional. In this sense, we [i.e., Armenia] have great challenges in terms of the independence of the judiciary. I consider the formation of a democratic political culture [in Armenia] to be very important," the Armenian premier added.

Pashinyan recalled the "hammer and sickle" campaign in the 2021 snap parliamentary elections, noting that this was an expression of a dire political situation.