A Coup d’etat refers to a violent seizure of power that overthrows an existing government and installs new leadership or a different political regime. While a Coup d’etat is usually triggered by domestic political factors, it can also be precipitated by external actors that want to change the regime or take advantage of one already in place.
Coup d’etat can have profound long-term consequences on the underlying political and social structures that govern a country. For example, Napoleon’s coup in France established stability but it also created a highly centralized authoritarian state with significant limits on revolutionary freedoms. Similarly, in Eastern Europe post-communism, the successful coups removed authoritarian regimes and increased democratization but they also created unstable power vacuums that resulted in civil unrest and instability.
Moreover, the outcome of a Coup d’etat depends on how it is responded to by external stakeholders and how it is executed. The international community needs to ensure that security assistance does not encourage a coup and it should strive for consistency in its reaction to one, with the aim of mitigating its negative effects on democracy.
In the wake of a Coup d’etat, it is important that civilian institutions and civic society organizations remain active to prevent military ownership of the political sphere from slipping into authoritarianism. Furthermore, external partners should encourage those leaders who seize power to live up to their promises and timelines. Those that do so are more likely to be seen as legitimate and democratic after the fact.
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