38 Facts About Andry Rajoelina

Andry Rajoelina was previously president of a provisional government from 2009 to 2014 following a political crisis and military-backed coup, having held the office of Mayor of Antananarivo for one year prior.

Andry Rajoelina formed the political party Young Malagasies Determined and was elected Mayor of Antananarivo in 2007.

Andry Rajoelina was appointed as President of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar by a military council, in a move characterised as a coup d'etat by the international community.

Andry Rajoelina dissolved the Senate and National Assembly, and transferred their powers to a variety of new governance structures responsible for overseeing the transition toward a new constitutional authority.

Andry Rajoelina held the Presidency of the HTA until general elections were held in 2013, and stepped down in 2014.

Andry Rajoelina won the 2018 presidential election and was inaugurated President of Madagascar on 19 January 2019.

Andry Rajoelina's tenure included directing the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Madagascar, during which he promoted misinformation and unproven treatments for the disease, as well as a 2021 food insecurity crisis and Cyclone Batsirai.

Andry Rajoelina then proceeded to win the 2023 Malagasy presidential election.

Andry Rajoelina was born on 30 May 1974 to a relatively wealthy family in Antsirabe.

Andry Rajoelina's father, now-retired Colonel Roger Yves Rajoelina, held dual nationality and fought for the French army in the Algerian War.

In 1994, Andry Rajoelina met his future spouse Mialy Razakandisa, who was then completing her senior year at a high school in Antananarivo.

In 1993, at the age of 19, Andry Rajoelina established his first enterprise: a small event production company called Show Business.

In May 2007, Andry Rajoelina purchased the Ravinala television and radio stations, and renamed them Viva TV and Viva FM.

In 2007, Andry Rajoelina created and led the political association Tanora malaGasy Vonona, meaning "determined Malagasy youth", and shortly afterward announced his candidacy to run for Mayor of Antananarivo.

Andry Rajoelina promised to dedicate a politically open public space in the capital which he would call Place de la Democratie.

Andry Rajoelina was sworn in as President on 21 March 2009 at Mahamasina stadium before a crowd of 40,000 supporters.

Andry Rajoelina was 35 years of age when sworn in, making him the youngest president in the country's history and the youngest head of government in the world at that time.

Some analysts maintained that Andry Rajoelina's legitimacy was conditional to free and fair elections.

In 11 October 2009, Andry Rajoelina appointed Eugene Malganza as Prime Minister.

The Malagasy former presidents were authorized to return to the Island, and Andry Rajoelina named a new Prime Minister.

On 13 May 2011, Andry Rajoelina met with Alain Juppe, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, and on 7 December 2011 he was officially received by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Andry Rajoelina then announced his endorsement of presidential candidate Hery Rajaonarimampianina, who went on to win the presidential election in December 2013.

Andry Rajoelina officially stepped down as president of Madagascar on 25 January 2014.

Andry Rajoelina pursued legal action against Ravalomanana's company Tiko to reclaim 35 million US dollars in back taxes.

Andry Rajoelina rejected Ravalomanana's medium term development strategy, termed the Madagascar Action Plan, and abandoned education reforms initiated by his predecessor that adopted Malagasy and English as languages of instruction, instead returning to the traditional use of French.

Andry Rajoelina occasionally organized events to distribute basic items to the population, including medicines, clothing, house maintenance materials and school supplies.

Andry Rajoelina's administration spent billions of ariary to subsidize basic needs like electricity, petrol, and food staples.

In 2010, two years after Andry Rajoelina launched the project as mayor of Antananarivo, the HAT completed the reconstruction of the Hotel de Ville of Antananarivo which had been destroyed by arson during the rotaka political protests of 1972.

In early August 2018, Andry Rajoelina was the first to register his candidacy for the 2018 presidential elections.

Andry Rajoelina had previously introduced the Initiative for the Emergence of Madagascar that define the lines of his campaign program.

Andry Rajoelina aims to increase access to electricity, to work towards agricultural self-sufficiency, and to increase security.

The campaign started in October 2018, with Andry Rajoelina facing as opponents the former presidents Ravalomanana and Rajaonarimampianina, the favorites in a campaign of 46 candidates.

Andry Rajoelina has blamed climate change for the food insecurity in parts of his country and has called on powerful nations to fight it.

Andry Rajoelina jointly announced a plan to combat hunger along with US ambassador to the country Michael Pelletier.

In July 2023, the former president of the Syndicate of Magistrates of Madagascar and opponent Fanirisoa Ernaivo claimed that Andry Rajoelina was a naturalized French citizen and therefore has invalidated his Malagasy citizenship, and has "filed a complaint for treason, espionage, use of forgery and attack on the security of the State".

Andry Rajoelina argued that he automatically acquired the French nationality through his father, thus not making him lose his Malagasy one.

Andry Rajoelina was dismissed by Rajoelina on 16 August 2023.

Andry Rajoelina took the oath of office on 16 December 2023 for his second term as president of Madagascar amid a boycott by opposition parties that challenged the 16 November election results.