How Armenia's Protests Could Threaten Stability

Protests in Armenia's capital, Yerevan, over the government's plan to raise electricity prices 16 percent are now in their third week. Though the government has made some concessions, demonstrators continue to take to the streets daily. Public protests are frequent in Armenia and so far do not pose a significant threat to the government. More important, in spite of widespread comparisons to Ukraine's Euromaidan movement, Armenia's electricity protests do not threaten Russian interests. The demonstrations, however, might grow if clashes between protesters and security forces turn violent. Yerevan likely has the Euromaidan analogy in mind and will seek to accommodate or wait out the protesters to avoid such a scenario.