"Democracy begins with the awareness of political responsibility." Suren Surenyants

Political scientist Suren Surenyants' post: "Mason resigned, Pashinyan nominated himself."

The head of the autonomous community of Valencia, Carlos Masson, has resigned, a year after the disaster that claimed 229 lives and was recognized as the most tragic natural disaster in Spain in recent decades.

He didn't try to justify himself, he didn't try to look for those around him who were to blame.

He simply stated: "I know I made mistakes. I accept them and I will live with that awareness for the rest of my life."

This one sentence is enough to show that in European political culture, democracy is not just an electoral system, but a moral institution, the basis of which is political responsibility.

And in Armenia, political responsibility has turned into a formality.

In 2020, under Pashinyan's leadership, the country was drawn into a bloody war, with thousands of casualties and fatal losses for the state.

In 2021, Pashinyan did not leave, but reproduced his own power, and over the next five years, he completely undermined his promises and the foundations of state governance.

Now, ahead of the 2026 elections, Pashinyan is once again announcing his candidacy, with a single Facebook post:

"I was nominated."

On the same day, Ilham Aliyev declared Armenia "historical Azerbaijan," openly promoting the idea of demographic expansion.

A behavioral contrast between the two leaders.

In Spain, responsibility and resignation, in Armenia, defeat and reproduction.

Mason left, admitting his mistakes.

Pashinyan remained, justifying his own failures.

In Europe, an official leaves even for ineffective management of a natural disaster. In Armenia, even in the face of a state disaster, the government continues to reproduce itself.

Democracy begins not with the ballot, but with the awareness of political responsibility.

When the latter is absent, the former becomes a formality, and the state an illusion of governance."