MADAGASCAR · NATIONAL CONCERTATION
Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, the army officer who took power in Madagascar in October 2025, said on Sunday 8 November 2026 that the country’s national concertation, a series of public consultations meant to redesign how the state is run, must be carried out even without a budget, Newsmada, a Malagasy daily, reported on 9 November. He spoke in Antsirabe, a highland city, and urged those running the process to move it forward.
The remark matters because the process is behind schedule and is meant to produce the blueprint for what the government calls the “Refondation”, or re-founding of the state. The consultations are run by the FFKM, the council of Madagascar’s Christian churches, with state support.
Key Facts
- The statement Colonel Michaël Randrianirina said the concertation must go ahead even without a budget.
- The place Antsirabe, at the inauguration of a social-affairs building, Sunday 8 November 2026.
- The next step Regional consultations are scheduled to start on 16 November 2026.
- The finish line The national concertation is planned for March 2027; the final report for May 2027.
- The delay The president acknowledged the concertation is running late; no budget figure was given.
What the Colonel Said in Antsirabe
Randrianirina was inaugurating a social-affairs building when he made a firm appeal for the process to move forward, according to Newsmada. He said the concertation is a question of will rather than money, and that political actors must agree to look in the same direction and save the Malagasy people.
He argued that no sincere concertation is possible while politicians chase power and glory, Newsmada reported, and said the Refondation wants to put the population, especially its most vulnerable, at the centre. He also said the process cannot succeed without a change of mentality, which he described as refusing mediocrity and aiming for excellence.
The Timetable So Far
The consultation phase began on 14 September 2026 and moved to municipalities from 5 October and to districts from 26 October, Newsmada reported. Regional meetings are due from 16 November, with consultations for Malagasy living abroad running between 14 September and 16 November.
These steps lead up to the national concertation itself, planned for March 2027, while Midi Madagasikara, a Malagasy daily, reported via the allAfrica platform on 26 August that the FFKM calendar places national-level consultations between March and May 2027. The report drawn from the whole process is due to be finalised in May 2027, according to Newsmada.
Why the Delay Matters
A late concertation pushes back the point at which Madagascar’s rulers can show citizens and foreign partners what the new state will look like. With the final report due only in May 2027, a finished blueprint is unlikely before then.
The president’s answer to the money question is to ask for commitment rather than funds, which keeps the calendar intact but leaves the practical costs of meetings in every region unanswered. Readers following the transition can find more background in our explainer on Madagascar’s role, weight and alliances in Africa.
What It Means for Readers
For investors and donors, the dates are the useful part: a national concertation from March 2027 and a report in May 2027. The wider picture is in our Madagascar coverage, including the trial of the ousted president covered in our report on the anti-corruption case.
For people with family, business or travel plans in Madagascar, nothing in the president’s remarks changes daily life. What changes is how much time the transition still needs.
What Is Not Known
- How much money the concertation has and what it would cost. No budget figure was given on 8 November 2026.
- Whether the regional round will start on 16 November 2026 as scheduled, given the delay the president acknowledged.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Madagascar’s national concertation?
It is a series of public consultations, from villages to regions and then a national meeting, meant to shape the country’s new political order. The government calls the wider project the Refondation.
Who is Michaël Randrianirina?
He is a colonel who leads Madagascar as president of the Refondation. He took power in October 2025 after the National Assembly voted to remove the then president, Andry Rajoelina, who had left the country.
When will the national concertation take place?
It is planned for March 2027, with the final report due in May 2027. Regional meetings are scheduled to begin on 16 November 2026.
- Newsmada, “Michaël Randrianirina: La Concertation doit être réalisée, même sans budget”, 9 November 2026: newsmada.com
- Midi Madagasikara via allAfrica, “Madagascar: FFKM – Concertations au niveau national entre mars et mai 2027”, 26 August 2026: allafrica.com
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