Key Highlights-
- Madagascar Military Seizes Power as Elite CAPSAT forces defect amid Gen Z protests.
- Social media–driven protests mirror trends in Sri Lanka and Nepal.
- Corruption, service failures, and economic grievances trigger regime collapses.
Madagascar has been plunged into a constitutional crisis after President Andry Rajoelina was effectively removed from power, marking the country’s most significant political upheaval since 2009. The dramatic turn of events, culminating in a military takeover on Tuesday, was catalyzed by weeks of youth-led anti-government demonstrations.
Rajoelina’s Flight and Madagascar Military Defection
The recent takeover by the Madagascar Military marks a dramatic escalation in the island nation’s political crisis. President Andry Rajoelina fled to an undisclosed “safe place” after weeks of Gen Z-led protests over chronic water and electricity outages, government corruption, and economic mismanagement, leaving a power vacuum that the military quickly filled. By dissolving the National Assembly, Rajoelina blocked impeachment proceedings, further destabilizing the political landscape.
Also Read | Madagascar President Dissolves National Assembly Amid Deepening Political Crisis
This takeover is not an isolated event but reflects a broader global trend: digitally fluent youth leveraging social media and street power to force regime change. Similar movements in Sri Lanka (2022) and Nepal (2025) illustrate this emerging pattern, showing that Gen Z activism can topple longstanding political structures within days.
Gen Z Protests: The New Blueprint for Political Change
The triggers for these movements vary but share a common root: frustration with systemic government failures. In Sri Lanka, hyperinflation and shortages of essentials ignited the Aagalaya movement, which ultimately forced the Rajapaksa dynasty from power. Similarly, Nepal’s protests in 2025 erupted after an authoritarian social media ban, interpreted as an attempt to silence dissent. Madagascar’s unrest began with chronic service outages, but quickly became a broader revolt against elite corruption and dynastic politics.
Unlike traditional opposition-led protests, these are decentralized, horizontal movements. Sri Lanka’s leaderless occupation camps, Nepal’s TikTok-coordinated demonstrations, and Madagascar’s Gen Z Mada mobilization illustrate the speed and scale of modern youth uprisings. In Madagascar, activists adopted symbols like the skull and crossbones from the anime One Piece to unite and coordinate online, turning localized discontent into nationwide upheaval.
The Decisive Factor: Security Forces Fracture
Crucially, the state’s response proved catastrophic in each instance, facilitating the regime’s collapse. In Sri Lanka, the security forces’ widely reported reluctance to fire on the massive crowds allowed the protestors to successfully occupy the President’s residence, effectively ending the Rajapaksa dynasty. In Nepal, the government’s use of lethal force against student demonstrators backfired, hardening public resolve and accelerating a nationwide wave of arson and violence that forced the Prime Minister’s swift resignation, according to reports from The New York Times.
In Madagascar, the most decisive factor was the defection of the elite CAPSAT military unit. By refusing to fire on the demonstrators, CAPSAT shifted the balance of power, isolated the fleeing President, and ultimately seized control, declaring a two-year transitional military rule. In each case, the visible erosion of the political leadership’s legitimacy led to a moment where the state’s traditional instruments of repression failed or fractured.
Consequences and the Rise of Street Power
The immediate results of these uprisings vary, but the overarching pattern is clear: Gen Z’s street power can topple sitting leaders. Sri Lanka installed a parliamentary appointee, Nepal moved to interim civilian authority, and the Madagascar military declared a two-year transitional rule, suspending key institutions to stabilize governance. Analysts warn that this marks the start of a new era of instability, where corruption and economic failures are met not with patience but with rapid, digitally coordinated political action, as reported by the BBC.
The lessons from Madagascar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka suggest that globally, governments can no longer rely on traditional political inertia to maintain power. Digital activism, combined with rapid mobilization and military defections, has proven to be an effective and volatile mechanism for accountability.
