Talking to Aftenposten, Jagland said that he finds it dangerous not to call it a coup. It could set a precedent and be an invitation to others to commit coup d’etat.
– I’m not defending the Brotherhood at all. But it is “blatant coup”, he says.
Jagland also harshly critized the head of the Middle East program at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Henrik Thune, who used the term “democratic coup” last week. Jagland describes Thune’s stance as “insane.”
– To call it a democratic coup is a direct challenge to the military in other countries. It could pave the way for this to happen elsewhere. Many others in the region can say that we appreciate democratically elected governments aside for the sake of democracy, he said.
Norway Hesitates to Use C-Word
Neither the UN, the EU or the U.S. used the word coup due to interests to keep the good relations with Egypt. Norway follows the same line. In press releases, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) writes the army “took over”, “ousted President Mursi” and “put the Constitution aside.”
