Andry Rajoelina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andry Rajoelina
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Rajoelina in 2024
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| 7th President of Madagascar | |
| Assumed office 16 December 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Christian Ntsay |
| Preceded by | Richard Ravalomanana (acting) |
| In office 19 January 2019 – 9 September 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Christian Ntsay |
| Preceded by | Rivo Rakotovao (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Christian Ntsay (acting) |
| In office 17 March 2009 – 25 January 2014 as President of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar |
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| Prime Minister |
See list
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| Preceded by | Hyppolite Ramaroson (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Hery Rajaonarimampianina |
| 51st Mayor of Antananarivo | |
| In office 12 December 2007 – 3 February 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Hery Rafalimanana |
| Succeeded by | Guy Randrianarisoa (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Andry Nirina Rajoelina
30 May 1974 Antsirabe, Malagasy Republic |
| Nationality | Malagasy French (since 2014) |
| Political party | Young Malagasies Determined |
| Spouse |
Mialy Razakandisa
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Iavoloha Palace |
Andry Nirina Rajoelina (born 30 May 1974) is a politician and businessman from Madagascar. He has been the President of Madagascar since 2019. Before that, he led a temporary government from 2009 to 2014. He was also the Mayor of Antananarivo, the capital city, for one year.
Before getting into politics, Rajoelina worked in business. He started a printing and advertising company called Injet in 1999. Later, in 2007, he owned the Viva radio and television networks.
He created a political party called Young Malagasies Determined. In 2007, he was elected Mayor of Antananarivo. While mayor, he led a movement against the president at the time, Marc Ravalomanana. This led to a big political crisis in 2009. A military group then made Rajoelina the head of a temporary government called the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar (HTA). This change was seen by many countries as a coup d'état, which is when a government is taken over, often by the military, without a normal election.
Rajoelina changed how the government worked during this time. Voters approved a new constitution in 2010, which started the Fourth Republic of Madagascar. He stayed as the head of the HTA until new elections were held in 2013, and he stepped down in 2014.
He won the presidential election in 2018 and became President of Madagascar on 19 January 2019. During his time as president, he managed the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Madagascar. He also faced a serious food shortage in 2021 and a powerful storm called Cyclone Batsirai. Rajoelina won the presidential election again in 2023.
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Early Life and Family
Andry Rajoelina was born on 30 May 1974 in Antsirabe. His family was quite well-off. His father, Roger Yves Rajoelina, was a retired Colonel.
Even though his family could pay for him to go to college, Andry Rajoelina decided to stop his studies after finishing high school. He wanted to start a career as a DJ.
In 1994, Rajoelina met Mialy Razakandisa, who would become his wife. They got married in 2000. They have two sons, Arena (born 2002) and Ilonstoa (born 2003), and a daughter named Ilona (born 2005).
Starting in Business
In 1993, when he was 19, Rajoelina started his first company. It was a small business that organized events called Show Business. The next year, he started an annual concert called Live. This event brought together both foreign and Malagasy musicians. One year, 50,000 people attended the concert.
In 1999, he launched Injet. This was the first company on the island to offer digital printing technology. It quickly became popular by putting up many billboards around the capital city. After he got married in 2000, Andry and Mialy Rajoelina bought another advertising business. The couple worked together to manage their family businesses.
In May 2007, Andry Rajoelina bought the Ravinala television and radio stations. He changed their names to Viva TV and Viva FM.
Mayor of Antananarivo (2007–2009)
Becoming Mayor
In 2007, Rajoelina created a political group called Tanora malaGasy Vonona (TGV). This means "determined Malagasy youth." Soon after, he announced he would run for Mayor of Antananarivo. His young age helped him become popular quickly across the country. Rajoelina was elected mayor on 12 December 2007. He won with 63.3% of the votes.
Leading an Opposition Movement
Andry Rajoelina and President Marc Ravalomanana had disagreements even before Rajoelina became mayor.
In late 2008, the government faced some problems. There was a deal to lease a large amount of land to a foreign company. Also, the president bought a very expensive new plane. These issues made many people unhappy. Rajoelina used this to gain support against President Ravalomanana's government.
As mayor, Rajoelina also dealt with city problems. The city of Antananarivo had a lot of debt. In early 2008, the city even had its water and streetlights turned off because of unpaid bills. After checking, it was found that the utility company also owed money to the city. The services were then restored.
On 13 December 2008, the government closed Andry Rajoelina's Viva TV station. They said an interview on the station could cause problems. Rajoelina then met with other opposition leaders. They demanded that the government act more democratically. Rajoelina also promised to create a public space in the capital called Place de la Démocratie ("Democracy Plaza").
In January 2009, Andry Rajoelina led many political protests in Antananarivo. On 13 January, he demanded that Viva TV be put back on air. A week later, the authorities seized the channel's equipment. On 17 January, Rajoelina gathered 30,000 supporters at a park he renamed Place de la Démocratie. At a rally on 31 January 2009, Rajoelina announced that he was taking charge of the country's affairs. He said the president and government were not doing their jobs.
Removal from Office
On 3 February, the government removed Rajoelina as mayor of Antananarivo. They appointed a temporary leader to manage the city. Andry Rajoelina did not agree with this decision.
Head of the Transitional Government (2009–2014)
President Steps Down
On 7 February, Andry Rajoelina held another rally. During this event, his supporters declared that a new temporary government, the High Transitional Authority, was formed, and Rajoelina was its president. The crowd then marched towards the Presidential palace. The presidential guards opened fire, and many protesters were killed or injured. This event made the president very unpopular and led to him losing support from the Army.
On 18 March, the Army transferred power directly to Rajoelina. This made him the president of the High Transitional Authority (HAT). Madagascar's highest court said this transfer of power was legal.
Rajoelina was sworn in as President on 21 March 2009. He was 35 years old, making him the youngest president in the country's history at that time.
Solving the Political Conflict
Many international groups, like the SADC and the African Union, did not recognize Rajoelina's new government. The African Union called the events a coup d'état. They suspended Madagascar and threatened to impose penalties if the normal government was not restored. The United States also did not recognize Rajoelina's government. Madagascar was removed from a trade program, and the IMF stopped its aid.
In August 2009, the leaders of Madagascar, including Rajoelina and former presidents, signed an agreement. This agreement set rules for a period of political change. In November 2010, people voted on a new constitution. It was approved with 73% of the votes. One change in the new constitution was lowering the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35. This made Rajoelina, who was 36, eligible to run for president.
An agreement was reached in January 2013 that Rajoelina and former president Ravalomanana would not run in the next election. However, when Ravalomanana's wife announced her candidacy, Rajoelina decided to run as well. This led to delays in the election. Eventually, a special court ruled that Rajoelina, Ravalomanana, and another former president could not run in the 2013 election. Andry Rajoelina then supported Hery Rajaonarimampianina, who won the election in December 2013. Andry Rajoelina officially stepped down as president on 25 January 2014.
What the Government Did
When Rajoelina took office in 2009, he changed the government structure. He gave more power to his cabinet and new councils. His policies were put into action through special orders.
One of his first actions was to cancel a land deal that the previous president had made, which was unpopular. His government also tried to get back money from the previous president's company. Rajoelina also changed education policies back to using French, instead of Malagasy and English. In 2012, he sold an expensive plane that the previous president had bought with public money.
Because of international penalties, the government lost a lot of money that usually came from other countries. This made it hard to manage state affairs. Rajoelina sometimes organized events to give basic items to people, like medicines, clothes, and school supplies. His government also spent money to help people afford electricity, fuel, and food.
In 2010, the city hall of Antananarivo was rebuilt. It had been destroyed in protests in 1972. During this event, Andry Rajoelina announced that 11 December would be a new holiday in Madagascar.
His government also started the trano mora ("affordable house") project. This built subsidized homes for young couples. Many other building projects were planned or finished. These included restoring old staircases in Antananarivo, repaving a major road, building a new stadium and town hall in Toamasina, and building a modern hospital in Toamasina.
2018 Presidential Campaign
In August 2018, Andry Rajoelina was the first to sign up to run for the 2018 presidential elections. He introduced his plan called the Initiative for the Emergence of Madagascar (IEM). One of his promises was to close the Senate to save money and build universities instead. He also aimed to provide more electricity, help the country grow enough food for itself, and make the country safer.
The campaign started in October 2018. Rajoelina was one of the main candidates, along with former presidents Ravalomanana and Rajaonarimampianina. In the first round of elections on 7 November, he received the most votes. A TV debate between the two final candidates was shown live on 10 December.
Rajoelina won the election with 55.66% of the votes. He officially became president on 19 January 2019.
First Term as President (2019–2023)
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COVID-19 Pandemic
In April and May 2020, President Rajoelina got international attention for launching an untested "cure" for COVID-19 called "Covid-Organics". This herbal tea was made using local plants. The military gave out "Covid-Organics" to people. Drinking the herbal tea was even made required in schools. Some other African countries also bought the herbal tea. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) said there was no proof that this cure worked. It had not been properly tested.
Protecting the Environment
Rajoelina has said that climate change is causing food shortages in parts of his country. He has asked powerful nations to do more to fight climate change.
At a big meeting called COP26 in Glasgow, Rajoelina promised to protect Madagascar's forests from being cut down. He also announced that Madagascar would use bioethanol and gas stoves to help fight climate change. Rajoelina also pledged more money to protect Madagascar's unique plants and animals, which make up 5% of the world's biodiversity.
Food Shortage in 2021–2022
In June 2021, a severe drought hit Madagascar. This caused hundreds of thousands of people to suffer from food insecurity in the southern parts of the country. Rajoelina announced a plan with the US ambassador to help fight hunger. One of the things he did was order the distribution of butane gas stoves to replace charcoal. This helped people in the poorest areas. The measure reached 15,000 households.
Second Term as President (2023–present)
Rajoelina took his oath of office on 16 December 2023 for his second term as president of Madagascar. This happened even though some opposition parties did not agree with the election results from 16 November.
Honours
National Awards
Grand Cordon of the National Order of Madagascar (2019)
Grand Cross 1st Class of the National Order of Madagascar (2009)
Awards from Other Countries
Guinea Bissau:
Recipient of the Medal of Amílcar Cabral (2024)
Other Awards
- 2000: Entrepreneur of the Year by the magazine Écho Australe.
- 2003: Best young entrepreneur in Madagascar by French bank BNI Crédit Lyonnais.
See also
In Spanish: Andry Rajoelina para niños
