Democracy requires stronger protection tools, MP says

PanARMENIAN.Net - Democracy needs new tools of protection, said Artur Hovhannisyan, a member of Armenia’s National Assembly delegation, at a session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

He noted that “hybrid interference in electoral processes is no longer a theoretical threat.”

“It is a practical toolkit used to undermine political stability in states and weaken trust in democratic institutions.

We are talking about coordinated disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, artificial polarization and influence operations driven by foreign policy interests.

These mechanisms become particularly active in the run-up to elections. In Armenia, as we approach elections, we are already witnessing such phenomena in practice. External political actors and related information networks are becoming active, generating information noise, attempting to shape the domestic political agenda, weaken public trust and influence public sentiment.

This is not only Armenia’s problem. It is an issue of democratic sovereignty,” he said.

The lawmaker added that it is necessary to strengthen the cybersecurity of electoral processes, identify and prevent coordinated disinformation networks, ensure transparency of financial and political influences, and deepen international cooperation to counter hybrid interference.

“I am confident that through cooperation and coordinated efforts, including with the support of election observation missions deployed by our Assembly, democracy in our countries will continue to remain protected,” Artur Hovhannisyan said.

Parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled to be held on June 7, 2026.