Coup in Madagascar The crisis of the Western model is driving a cascading erosion of influence across the Global South

On October 12-14, 2025, a military coup took place in Madagascar, resulting in the ousting of the country’s President, Andry Rajoelina, a French citizen, who was evacuated from Madagascar by a French helicopter. Power in the country was seized by the elite military unit CAPSAT, led by Colonel Mikaël Randrianirina.

The coup in Madagascar is not unique in its form—similar changes in power have occurred here multiple times. However, the events of October 2025 in Madagascar are distinctive in that they open a window for a rapid shift in the foreign policy orientation of the country’s elites.

Amid extreme poverty, high dependence on external financing, and limited state tools for development, any major geopolitical power capable of quickly offering visible, socially significant projects gains disproportionate political influence.