Madagascar Cleaned Up Just for Macron's Visit

When French President Emmanuel Macron visited Madagascar in April 2025, it was a big event. This was the first time in 20 years that a French president came to the island. Agreements were signed in areas like energy and education, and talks were held about the Scattered Islands and returning stolen cultural items from colonial times. But while the visit looked good on the outside, something strange was happening behind the scenes.

Just before Macron’s arrival, the capital city, Antananarivo, was suddenly cleaned and decorated. Streets that were usually full of trash were cleared, walls were painted, and flowers were planted. It was like the government wanted to hide the real situation and show only a nice picture to the guest. People joked that the city only gets cleaned when someone important comes from outside, not for the people who live there every day.

What made it even weirder was how life in the capital almost stopped during the visit. Workers were told to stay home, and many students missed school. The city didn’t just clean up, it went quiet. This shows a strange way of thinking: that it’s more important to impress a foreign leader than to keep things running for locals. Instead of showing real progress, the government created a short-term show.

Events like this raise a bigger question, why doesn’t the Malagasy government take care of the country the same way every day? A clean city and working systems should not be just for visitors. They should be for the people of Madagascar, all the time. A visit from a president should not be the only reason for action. It’s time the government focused more on long-term care instead of temporary shows.