It Has to Be Said: Constitutional Amendments

2026-03-10 - 13:24

Since independence, every Armenian administration has amended the Constitution. Each reform has been presented as modernization, democratization, or necessity. But constitutional change in Armenia has often been just as much about political power as legal reform. In this episode, Maria Titizian looks at how Armenia’s Constitution has evolved since 1995, why it keeps changing, and why it is once again at the center of political debate ahead of the parliamentary elections. In this episode: • How Armenia’s 1995 Constitution created a powerful presidency • The 2005 reforms and Armenia’s commitments to European institutions • The 2015 shift to a parliamentary system and the political crisis that followed • Why constitutional change is back on the agenda today Also read Armenia’s Perpetual Search for a Fitting Constitution Hovhannes Nazaretyan Jul 4, 2025 In this in-depth piece, Hovhannes Nazaretyan chronicles Armenia’s constitutional history since independence, outlining the country’s three constitutional referendums to date and detailing the current process of drafting a new Constitution. Read more