Dr Herinandrasana Andry Andriamandroso at an ADN youth conference-debate in 2017. At 37, Secretary General of ADN, Dr Herinandrasana Andry Andriamandroso embodies political renewal. A specialist in governance and regional integration, he champions professionalization, proximity, and scientific approaches to bring fresh momentum. Facing historical figures, he aims to prove his generation possesses the competence and seriousness required for top leadership roles in the country. Interview!

Midi Madagasikara (M.M.): Madagascar's political landscape is often seen as a closed space where historical figures set the pace. How do you experience this responsibility leading ADN?

Dr Herinandrasana Andry Andriamandroso (H.A.A.): I embrace this responsibility with humility, but also with a keen sense of duty. At 37, being Secretary General of a party like Arche de la Nation (ADN) is a significant responsibility, particularly in the current political context. But I don't consider my age a weakness. It's rather an additional responsibility: proving that the new generation is fully capable of assuming leading positions with seriousness, competence and vision. My commitment to ADN didn't start with my appointment in July 2025. It began in 2017, notably leading the youth section. These years of activism allowed me to learn, listen and understand the deep realities of our organization and the ground. Simultaneously, my academic background in governance and regional integration equipped me with an essential scientific approach to analyze public policies and institutions. Facing more experienced figures, youth shouldn't compete on seniority, but bring new methods, agility and refined understanding of citizen aspirations. The challenge isn't sterile rupture, but assumed complementarity between elders' experience and renewal's momentum.

M.M.: Concretely, what new elements do you bring to your political formation in terms of methods and strategy?

H.A.A.: My primary ambition is professionalizing our operations. Too many parties fall dormant between elections. I want ADN to be a permanently active force: training activists, supporting elected officials and formulating proposals rooted in Malagasy daily life. My academic background guides me toward governance based on data and analysis, far from simple personal confrontations or empty slogans. "Young people no longer want to be reduced to mere electoral auxiliaries. They demand participation in decision-making and nation-building."

Regarding communication, we're modernizing our tools. Social media no longer merely relays slogans, but accounts for our elected officials' work and establishes direct dialogue with citizens. Finally, we connect our national reflection to local reality. ADN relies on solid communal experience, which directly feeds our territorial planning vision. We thus shift from simple mobilization logic to accountability logic.

M.M.: ADN has significant local roots through its mayors and communal elected officials. How do you plan to capitalize on this strength during this transition period?

H.A.A.: Our local elected officials are ADN's beating heart, but holding mandates isn't enough. The real question is what we concretely bring to constituents. I want to streamline connections between our communes to make them genuine local governance laboratories. Whether sanitation, civil status, local economy support or citizen participation, proximity must accelerate development. In the current transition context, our elected officials have a fundamental stabilizing role. Municipalities mustn't paralyze themselves: citizens need schools, security, water and efficient administrative services. Our town halls must remain sanctuaries of public service and dialogue, far from permanent political tensions. This local anchoring works both ways: ground realities feed upward to national leadership to shape our political proposals, reflecting our Federalisma Sahaza vision. True democratic renewal in Madagascar emerges from this capacity to bring decision-making closer to citizens.

Reported by Julien R.