Madagascar Protests: How Ousted President Andry Rajoelina's Urban Agenda Backfired

Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina was ousted after three weeks of intense protests sparked by his government's urban mega-projects, which failed to meet pressing social needs and highlighted the regime's corruption and disconnection from the population. Rajoelina's urban agenda, which included a cable car and urban train, was meant to transform the spatial and political imaginaries of the state, but it ultimately turned against him, igniting protests that led to his downfall. The protests were not just about the lack of basic utilities, but also a broader contestation of Rajoelina's regime, with artists, trade unions, civil society organizations, and politicians joining the movement.

Key Takeaways:

• Rajoelina's government placed urban mega-projects at the center of its strategy to assert power and legitimacy, but these projects failed to meet the needs of most Malagasy citizens.
• The cable car, which cost an estimated €162,000 (US$188,725) per month in electricity bills, was meant to be a symbol of progress and modernity but came to embody Rajoelina's disconnection from the population and the corruption of the regime.
• The protests were sparked by the violent arrest of opposition municipal councillors on 19 September, and quickly expanded into a broader contestation of Rajoelina's regime.
• Artists, trade unions, civil society organizations, and politicians joined the movement, with protesters targeting key symbols of the presidency, including the cable car and urban train stations.
• Rajoelina's urban projects initially captured the imagination of the youth and the wider population, but as they failed to meet pressing social needs, they quickly generated disillusionment and anger.
• The case of Madagascar raises broader questions about the afterlife of urban infrastructure projects closely associated with fallen leaders, highlighting the need to consider how these projects will be maintained, repurposed, or abandoned.

Statistics:

• 80% of the Malagasy population live below the poverty line.
• The cable car costs an estimated €162,000 (US$188,725) per month in electricity bills.
• The urban trains had never been put into service.
• 6.3 outages in a typical month lasting an average of 3.9 hours each, costing firms an average of 24% of annual sales.
• About 20.5% of firms experienced an average of two water shortages a month.
• Power cuts lasted up to 12 hours a day over the weeks preceding the coup.
• More than 50% of businesses reported electricity outages.

Sources:

• The Conversation -- Africa -- By Fanny Voélin, PhD candidate in geography, University of Bern
• World Bank review of the country's economy (February 2025)
• Official from the Antananarivo municipality (late 2022)