The Politics of Labeling in International Relations: The Case of the So-Called aoCoup daEtat of March 2009a in Madagascar

Abstract

The consecutive and unconstitutional transfers of power which occurred in Madagascar on March 17, 2009, between, on the one hand, President Marc Ravalomanana and the Military Directorate, and on the other hand, the Military Directorate and Andry Rajoelina, have been labeled and condemned as a “coup d’état” by the great majority of the members of the international community. However, despite this quasi-unanimity, the different members of the international community adopted different responses in dealing with this so-called coup d’état. Using the labeling approach, this study analyzes the rules and procedures of the relevant members of the international community in dealing with a coup d’état in general and their actual responses in the particular case of Madagascar. This study finds, on the one hand, that the rules and procedures of the relevant members of the international community in dealing with a coup d’état were completely different, on the other hand, that their actual responses were usually inconsistent with their own rules and procedures.