Self-coup

Elected leader illegally maintaining or increasing power

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Why this is trending

Interest in “Self-coup” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-26.

Categorised under Politics & Government, this article fits a familiar pattern. Political articles spike during elections, policy announcements, diplomatic events, or when political figures make international headlines.

At GlyphSignal we surface these trending signals every day—transforming Wikipedia’s vast pageview data into actionable insights about global curiosity.

2026-01-28Peak: 1,7572026-02-26

30-day total: 16,991

Key Takeaways

The leader may dissolve or render powerless the national legislature and unlawfully assume extraordinary powers.
From 1946 to the beginning of 2021, an estimated 148 self-coup attempts took place, 110 in autocracies and 38 in democracies.
"Power Grabs from the Top: A Database of Self-Coups.
"Gödel's Loophole: A Prequel.

A self-coup, also called an autocoup (from Spanish autogolpe) or coup from the top, is a form of coup d'état in which a political leader, having come to power through legal means, stays in office or vastly increases their power illegally through the actions of themselves or their supporters, thus performing a coup on one's own government. The leader may dissolve or render powerless the national legislature and unlawfully assume extraordinary powers. Other measures may include annulling the constitution, suspending civil courts, and having the head of government assume dictatorial powers.

From 1946 to the beginning of 2021, an estimated 148 self-coup attempts took place, 110 in autocracies and 38 in democracies.