Philibert Tsiranana

Philibert Tsiranana
Tsiranana in 1962
1st President of Madagascar
In office 1 May 1959 – 11 October 1972
Vice President	Philibert Raondry Calvin Tsiebo Andre Resampa Calvin Tsiebo Jacques Rabemananjara Victor Miadana Alfred Ramangasoavina Eugène Lechat
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Gabriel Ramanantsoa
7th Prime Minister of Madagascar
In office 14 October 1958 – 1 May 1959
Preceded by	Position reestablished Rasanjy (1896–1897)
Succeeded by	Position abolished from 1959 to 1972 Gabriel Ramanantsoa (1972–1975)
Personal details
Born	(1912-10-18)18 October 1912 Ambarikorano, French Madagascar
Died	16 April 1978(1978-04-16) (aged 65) Antananarivo, Democratic Republic of Madagascar
Political party	Social Democratic Party
Spouse	Justine Tsiranana ​ (m. 1933)​
Profession	Professor of French and Mathematics

Philibert Tsiranana (18 October 1912 – 16 April 1978) was a Malagasy politician and leader who served as the seventh Prime Minister of Madagascar from 1958 to 1959, and then later the first President of Madagascar from 1959 to 1972.

During the twelve years of his administration, the Republic of Madagascar experienced institutional stability that stood in contrast to the political turmoil many mainland African countries experienced in this period. This stability contributed to Tsiranana's popularity and his reputation as a remarkable statesman. Madagascar experienced moderate economic growth under his social democratic policies and came to be known as "the Happy Island." However, the electoral process was fraught with issues and his term ultimately terminated in a series of farmer and student protests that brought about the end of the First Republic and the establishment of the officially socialist Second Republic.

The "benevolent schoolmaster" public image that Tsiranana cultivated went alongside a firmness of convictions and actions that some believe tended toward authoritarianism. Nonetheless, he remains an esteemed Malagasy political figure remembered throughout the country as its "Father of Independence".