Formerly a little known military commander, Colonel Michael Randrianirina is currently the most influential person in Madagascar. Randrianirina was sworn in as the nation's leader a few days after taking his elite CAPSAT unit into Antananarivo's streets to participate in youth led demonstrations calling for the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina.
Following a brief period of incarceration for a suspected insurrection, his rise has elevated a soldier from Madagascar's southernmost regions to the position of head of state.
Sevohipoty, a little village in southern Madagascar's Androy area, is where Randrianirina was born in 1974. Although not much is known about his family, his professional trajectory shows a consistent ascent through the military.
From 2016 until 2018, he was the governor of Androy under former President Hery Rajaonarimampianina. Before being elevated to a top leadership position in CAPSAT, Madagascar's elite military force that was instrumental in installing Rajoelina in 2009, he commanded an infantry battalion in Toliara until 2022.
Randrianirina established a reputation for discipline and practicality over his career. In contrast to the president's return to office in 2018 after first seizing power in a 2009 coup, he was also a strong opponent of Rajoelina.
Later, this conflict would pave the way for his pivotal participation in the political revolution of 2025.
In 2023, Randrianirina and Rajoelina's relationship became overtly hostile. According to Reuters, he was imprisoned without trial in November of that year on charges of encouraging a mutiny and plotting a coup.
Because the authorities recognized his status and influence inside the armed services, he spent the majority of his three-month incarceration at a military hospital.
Politicians, fellow troops, and student organizations denounced his imprisonment as politically motivated, characterizing it as reprisal against a growing critic.
He left prison in February 2024, entering a nation where the distinction between political and military control was already perilously hazy.
The surge of demonstrations led by young Madagascans, mainly by the Gen Z movement known as Gen Z Mada, provided the immediate backdrop for Randrianirina's ascent.
In late September 2025, protests led by young people broke out throughout the capital, angry about ongoing water and electricity shortages, high living expenses, corruption, and lack of opportunities.
Randrianirina's CAPSAT unit joined the protesters last weekend as the demonstrations grew in size. He publicly declared that CAPSAT was assuming authority while driving into the city center with troops, according to Reuters.
Even though the expelled Rajoelina refused to accept the change, the Constitutional Court swiftly approved the changeover and installed him as president.
Randrianirina characterized himself as a “servant” of the people in a statement to the BBC hours prior to his inauguration, projecting assurance and composure without displaying conceit.
To mark the change from military command to political authority, Randrianirina exchanged his fatigues for a presidential suit, complete with official sash and star of office, upon taking office.
He told the BBC, "We are committed to breaking with the past," and vowed to solve the structural issues that led to the riots, such as ongoing power and water shortages.
Demonstrating a hands-on approach, he promptly opened an investigation into the state run water and power companies.
Prior to elections, he has promised that the military will coexist with a civilian government for a maximum of two years. "From now on, we will restore the country to its former glory, fight against insecurity, and gradually try to solve the social problems that Malagasy people experience," he said in interviews with The Associated Press, framing the takeover as a patriotic gesture.
By refusing to answer in French when given the opportunity and claiming that Malagasy is the primary language, Randrianirina further demonstrated a cultural change by asking, "Why can't I speak my language, Malagasy?" His position demonstrates a resolve to uphold national identity while separating his administration from colonial traditions.
The abrupt transition of Randrianirina from prisoner to president highlights Madagascar's political landscape's instability and fragility.
The president of the Constitutional Court, Florent Rakotoarisoa, disagreed with the African Union and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' condemnation of the takeover as a coup, claiming that the situation was caused by systemic constitutional defects.
Randrianirina's troops were widely praised, and popular support has been strengthened by young people who see him as the personification of their frustrations and dreams, despite a little altercation with Rajoelina aligned gendarmerie forces that resulted in the death of a CAPSAT soldier.
Randrianirina's leadership as Madagascar moves into this phase of transition will be determined by his capacity to strike a balance between civilian government, military authority, and international criticism.
