Michael Randrianirina waits to be sworn in as president at the main chamber of the nation's High Constitutional Court, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Friday, October 17, 2025. BRIAN INGANGA / AP
President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, November 29 spoke for the first time by telephone with the army colonel who took over as Madagascar's head of state after the military ousted his predecessor, pledging the support of France in the political transition of the former French colony.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina seized power from Andry Rajoelina amid protests spearheaded by Gen Z protesters angry over chronic power cuts and economic stagnation in the Indian Ocean island nation.
In October, Randrianirina named a government replete with familiar faces from the island's political elite, raising fears of sidelining young protesters' calls for a clean slate after Rajoelina's ouster.
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