Armenia and principles of state-building

What makes one country strong and important and another weak and inconsequential? Why does one country become significant while another becomes the opposite? Why were small and medium-sized European countries like England and France able to rule vast countries like India and Algeria for centuries during colonial times?

One distinct reason is that powerful states are built on enduring principles of statehood, and the citizens of those countries insist on enforcement and preservation of those principles.

In the United States, people are constantly bombarded by slogans and phrases, through the media, official speeches, schools and social groups, that are nothing but notions for statehood. Phrases such as “We the People,” “rule of law,” “personal liberty,” “guarantees of free speech,” “gathering” and “elections” are mere expressions of the concepts of state-building. 

By hearing these principles, the citizens of the United States form an idea of the kind of state they live in and what values their laws must enforce. The government knows, in turn, the expectation its citizenry has for the rules the laws are meant to implement. If it fails to pass such laws, then it is voted out and replaced.  

In France, the expression, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” is constantly in the public discourse, considered and deliberated, by both politicians and the public, when thinking about national and political issues. It is important for the leaders of France to have these foundational ideas in mind when deliberating laws. The French citizens expect their leaders to pass and enforce laws consistent with these principles.

It is not only in democratic countries that state-building principles are of paramount importance when considering governance. In China, the government’s decisions are based on the communist principles of governing. Under theocratic systems, the religious ideas of laws and government are considered when thinking about rules and regulations.

The state is supported by the majority of people and brings contentment and satisfaction to its citizenry. The foundational principles of the state must also be flexible and adaptable enough to endure unforeseen predicaments and adversities.

At the beginning of the independence of Armenia from the Soviet Union, there were attempts to examine the type of state suitable for the country, but due to internal strife and the first Artsakh War those attempts were discomfited, frustrated and thwarted. 

The constitution of Armenia may have been reviewed and blessed by the highest democratic bodies in Europe, but the country ended up settling for a quasi-democratic system. The actual working of the state was more or less the continuation of the Soviet governing system in which a few people in power controlled the majority of the resources in the country. They made deals within their cliques and similar groups abroad, and a few became rich.

What state-building principles do the leaders and the people of Armenia consider to be of foremost importance, and how strong are the conviction and belief in implementation and enforcement of those principles?

Armenia, due to its geography, has and will always be on a precarious footing, constantly in danger of losing its independence and sovereignty—as has happened all through history. We have a 3,000-year-old history on this earth, and we want to survive the next 3,000 years living on our land.  

Today, we are fortunate to have an independent country. But just like the kingdoms we had and lost—and the countless Armenians we lost to wars, forced migrations and genocides—the survival of the present-day country is not guaranteed. 

In order for us to have an independent and sovereign country that will survive and thrive for years to come, we need to make sure the foundations of its state are built on solid principles of governance. The citizens of the country must expect unequivocal enforcement and maintenance of these principles by the ruling governments. This will make it possible to have control over our nation’s destiny for self-rule, independence and the happiness of the future generations of Armenians living in the homeland.