When expressing opinions about the past years in Armenia we unfortunately have to name not achievements but failures. This is not pessimism and wish to see the bad but the reality. In order not to seem pessimistic of curse we can refer to ‘achievements’ or simply speak about the same things we see on TV. On the other hand, it is also possible to speak about negative processes, which happened too. However, the biggest danger and most discussed issue during 2011 was migration. If we try to estimate the losses and look back, we will see that during the past year Armenia lost about a hundred thousand people (according to the official statistics, eighty thousand, and according to experts’ opinions – a hundred or hundred- twenty thousand people). For a country, which mainly relies on human resources (as the government officials like to say) this is tragedy, and as a result of it no economic achievements can count. 2012 is an election year for Armenia as following the presidential election in 2008, which ended up with March 1, it will be the first national election. We still hope that in 2012 there will be no more processes making people be disappointed about the authorities, opposition, and what is the most important, their own state. The next edition of the 168 Hours will be published on January 17. Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!
