Bahruz Samadov1; 1 Institute of Political Science, Czech Republic
Discussion
The outcome of the recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh did not end the conflict, however, has a considerable impact on the political landscape of Azerbaijan. While the mainstream opposition lost its main argument against Aliyev’s government, other parties have turned to right-wing populism and focused on the inner enemies. While the mainstream or “old” opposition tries to devalue Aliyev’s victory narrative through the focus on the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh, other parties develop their narratives around victory, dialogue with the regime, and nationalistic-social populism. From the other side, a few anti-systemic voices are even more vulnerable and weak. In this presentation, I analyze the current “victory” moment in the political system of Azerbaijan.
