EU’s Moran: ‘June 30 was a popular revolution’

The debate over how to label the contentious events of June 30 seems to be dying down, at least where foreign diplomacy is concerned and namely when it comes to the United States and the European Union.

On Monday, James Moran, head of the EU delegation to Egypt, said that the EU “understands full well that June 30 was a popular revolution against the former regime,” according to the state news agency.

In recent comments, US Secretary of State John Kerry's stance fell along the same lines, saying that the Egyptian Armed Forces are bringing democracy back to their country. The statements came two weeks after an early November visit to Egypt, Kerry’s first since Mohamed Morsi’s removal after an army ultimatum, which was spurred by popular protests.

The army’s intervention and ensuing crackdown on members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is now a banned group, left observers and Egyptians themselves divided over whether what occurred was a coup, a revolution, or a mix of both.

Mohamed Shaker, an Egyptian diplomat and deputy head of the Egyptian Council of Foreign Affairs, told Mada Masr that there is a noticeable change in the language used to describe events in Egypt.

"There is a conviction now that what happened was a popular movement. If they insist on using the word coup, then it is very clear now that it was a popular coup. But anyway, I don't see this word being used in the vocabulary of official statements anymore," he said Monday.

Moran told the Middle East News Agency (MENA) that the EU never referred to the events of June 30 as a coup, and added that the union has cooperated with the interim government since it came to power following Morsi’s removal.

“Aid will not be suspended and more assistance programs will be announced for the future,” he said.

The EU’s social and economic assistance to Egypt reached 1 billion euros and goes towards projects including the health, education and energy sectors, he told MENA, emphasizing the importance of trade ties. The EU has traditionally been Egypt's largest trade partner.

Aid from the US, however, has proven more problematic. In October, US President Barack Obama froze some military aid to Egypt as well as US$260 million in cash, due to the US administration’s concern over Egypt’s commitment to human rights and the promotion of democracy.

During his visit to Egypt, however, Kerry said that the suspension of aid to Egypt is “not a punishment.” He and Interim President Adly Mansour agreed that bilateral relations between the countries should not be reduced to aid.

Shaker said that on recent visits to the UK and the US, he noticed that “people are talking about change now, about the upcoming elections. They see it positively now that we have a transition process.”

International concerns now center on whether the Muslim Brotherhood, whose members and supporters regularly organize protests demanding the reinstatement of Morsi, will participate in the political process. However, with hundreds of its leading members detained, it's unclear how the Muslim Brotherhood will be able to take part in upcoming elections.

Asked whether he is in talks with the Muslim Brotherhood over its political participation, Moran said, “There has been mediation since July from all sides and we tried to communicate with everyone. The political process is now being managed by Egyptians, and there are efforts being made from the current government that we hope are successful.”

He added that the Brotherhood’s political participation, especially in elections, is the best path for the whole country, while the lack of participation of any faction will make it harder to reach democracy and will threaten stability.

Moran referred to EU statements that have condemned terrorism and violence, promoted inclusion and affirmed the EU’s cooperation with Egyptian authorities.

He pointed to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s three visits to Egypt over the past four months as an indication of the EU’s strong interest in its relations with Egypt.

Ashton visited Morsi in prison in late July for “humanitarian purposes,” Moran explained. After her visit, Ashton said that Morsi’s health was good, that he had access to newspapers and was aware of what was happening in the country.

Discussing the draft constitution, due for completion in early December, Moran said that Egypt must now confront several challenges in regards to human rights and basic freedoms.

“The important thing is to meet people’s needs, such as justice, especially when it comes to freedoms,” he added.

As for labels, Shaker says Egypt is past this point: “It’s been six months. There’s no point discussing the labels now. We have a transitional process in the works.”