Comments by "peabase" (@peabase) on "People power pays off in Armenia" video.

  1. Armenia doesn't make the grade, not by a long shot.
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  2. Arthaxta, firstly, the EU sets accession criteria for democracy and rule of law. Presently, Armenia falls short on those. Secondly, Armenia is embroiled in a frozen conflict with Azerbaijan. Thirdly, Armenia would be a huge drain on the EU's cohesion fund, which is supposed to lessen economic disparity between members. Finally, Armenia isn't Europe.
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  3. Arthaxta, Putin did away with Yeltsin's oligarchs, only to replace them with his own. The actors changed, but the crony capitalism and the endemic corruption remained. Who's to say Armenia won't undergo the same fate? Democracy entails more than ousting an unpopular leader after street protests. The EU's accession criteria talk about stable democratic institutions. Stable isn't how I'd describe Armenia right now. Just like the fighting in East Ukraine, it's in Russia's interest to keep the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh unresolved. They know full well that the EU won't accept either country as a result. Russia still thinks in terms of spheres of influence, and it won't allow any overlap between theirs and that of the EU. Turkey isn't part of the EU. Erdogan has burnt all bridges to make it so with him in charge.
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