Protests against a hike in electricity rates (Armenia)
| Electric Yerevan | |||
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| Date | June 20, 2015–September 11, 2015 | ||
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Armenia: Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Martuni, Spitak, and Ashtarak |
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| Methods | demonstrations, sit-ins, hunger strike,online activism, civil disobedience | ||
| Resulted in | The monopolist electric distribution company is sold to a new investor. Latest price hike postponed. | ||
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Armenia: Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Martuni, Spitak, and Ashtarak
Electric Yerevan more known within Armenia as No robbery (Ոչ թալանին, Voch t'alanin) protests, were mass protests which occurred in the summer of 2015 against a 17% hike in electricity rates within Armenia. The protests were successful in reversing the price hike and causing the sale of Electric Networks of Armenia from Inter RAO to the Tashir Group.
Electric Yerevan had been preceded by previous smaller movements against price hikes on marshrutkas public transportation and a new mandatory pension savings system. Then in June 2015, the Armenian Public Services Regulatory Committee (PSRC) increased the price of electricity for the public. The cost increased by 7 drams (US$0.01) per kilowatt hour, to be effective on August 1, 2015. This was the third price increase for electricity over the last few years, with most recently in 2013 having it risen by about a third. Garegin Bagramyan, the Armenian Public Services Regulatory Commission chairman also stated, "The main reason for this decision is the fluctuation in the currency exchange rates."
During the post-Soviet era, relations between Armenia and Russia have been cooperative. Many post-Soviet states struggle with weak political party development, a high degree of fragmentation, and an anemic civil society. Post-Soviet countries lack genuine civic participation. Ideological restrictions and public sector dominance during the Soviet period enforced citizens to be passive and expect authorities to hold the responsibility for community welfare. In the post-soviet era, two new social classes have emerged. There is a new middle class with non-manual employees at its core and a lower class with chronic unemployment and economic inactivity at its core. 43% of the population lives below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate stands at 30%, stimulating the emigration of large numbers of the Armenian population, despite an 8% growth in gross domestic product. Armenia has a high level of dependency on foreign aid from the diaspora, contributing up to 20% of the GDP in 2006—to support both economic and human development within the country. In Armenia nominal democratic institutions do exist, but in reality an oligarchical system of political power has taken shape. This creates tension within the country that weakens the legitimacy of the government. Confrontation with the authorities often take a radical form, with mass meetings being quite frequent. According to the International Corruption Perception Index, Armenia is ranked 94th in public sector corruption. Faced with an imperative need to modernize, Armenia considered the EU’s enhanced offer under the Eastern Partnership with great interest. However, in the Fall of 2013, Armenia joined the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. Armenia was also in negotiations with the European Union to allow the country to participate in a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. The European Union wanted close relations with former Soviet republics on Russia's borders. At the EU–Russia summit held in Khabarovsk in 2009, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev warned that Russia did not want the Eastern Partnership to turn into partnership against Russia. Due to being Russia's only ally in the region, Russia invests, trades and lends with Armenia. Russia also holds two military basis within Armenia and Armenia also joined the Collective Security Treaty Organization's Rapid Reaction Force to come to the defense of its members.
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