Event Summary
On 12 October 2025, following weeks of nationwide protests marked by violence and repression, President Andry Rajoelina fled Madagascar, claiming to have survived an assassination attempt. His departure was soon followed by the flight of the President of the Senate, creating an institutional vacuum at the highest levels of the state. This development came amid escalated tensions between the government and protesters demanding political reforms, better governance, and an end to corruption and impunity. Demonstrations in major cities – including Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Toamasina, Mahajanga, Toliara and Fianarantsoa – intensified after security forces used excessive force against civilians. The army later joined the protesters and announced that it has taken over power.
On 14 October 2025, the High Constitutional Court declared the offices of the President of the Republic and the President of the Senate vacant. The same decision appointed Colonel Michael Randrianirina as Head of State. He was officially inaugurated on 17 October 2025 as President of the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar, marking the establishment of a new transitional authority under military leadership. The National Assembly nominated Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo as Prime Minister of the Refoundation on 20 October 2025, and efforts to form the transitional government are ongoing.
The transition has introduced some uncertainty regarding democratic accountability and the rule of law. Civil society organisations have expressed concern that the military-led refoundation process could concentrate power and restrict oversight mechanisms established during previous democratic transitions. Civil society actors, including pro-democracy networks and human rights groups, have called for an inclusive dialogue to ensure that the transitional process safeguards civic freedoms and sets clear timelines for a return to constitutional order.