Prior to Armenia's independence, a national liberal movement arose in the country. Armenia officially gained its independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union. Following which, there were some attempts to establish a national liberal movement, however, these initial attempts were largely unsuccessful.
History
Below is a list of Liberal parties which sought to gain support during the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century:
1918: A liberal anti-violence faction of the Reorganised Hunchak Party' formed the Liberal Party (Azadagan Party).
1921: The Ramgavar Party merged in exile with the Liberal Party into the Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar Azadagan Party). This party continued operating in exile and is said to be represented in the first parliament after Armenian independence in the 1990s.
During the revolution, the Way Out Alliance had emerged as a liberal political alliance. The alliance had a Pro-European orientation and believed that Armenia should have closer relations with the European Union. Nikol Pashinyan was the main figurehead and leader of the Way Out Alliance.
Prior to the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election, Pashinyan formed a new liberal democrat alliance called the My Step Alliance. Following the election, the alliance won 88 seats in the National Assembly and Pashinyan was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia on 9 May 2018.
In November 2017, a new Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement was signed by Armenia and the EU. The agreement includes provisions to further improve human rights and strengthening democratic reforms in Armenia. The agreement was ratified and entered into force on 1 March 2021.
