The Economist Names Armenia Country of the Year 2018

The Economist has named Armenia s its ‘Country of the Year for 2018’ due to the country’s progress over the past 12 months. 

“Our annual ‘country of the year’ goes not to the most influential nation, nor the richest, nor the one with the tastiest food (sorry, Japan,” says the magazine, “it celebrates progress.”

The article underlines the Velvet Revolution as a key factor for change in Armenia. After president, Serzh Sarkisian made himself executive prime minister in an attempt to dodge term limits, the streets erupted in protest. MP and former journalist Nikol Pashinian was then voted into power legally and properly “on a wave of revulsion against corruption and incompetence.”

Previous winners of the title have regressed in following years showing it is no guarantee of future success. 2017’s winner, France, is now racked by riots whilst the 2015 winner Myanmar has been condemned internationally for its bloody treatment of minority groups.

The article also mentions Armenia’s “nasty territorial dispute with Azerbaijan” which could potentially flare up again. Nonetheless “an ancient and often misruled nation in a turbulent region has a chance of democracy and renewal.”

By Amy Jones

Photo source: Euromaidan Press