Six months after a wave of protest movements shook the political elite of countries across the Global South, the “Gen Z” activists continue their struggle for social justice. But while some of these activists have managed to bring down governments, building a viable political alternative remains a challenge for these largely spontaneous movements.
Issued on: 05/04/2026
FRANCE24
By: Grégoire SAUVAGE
A medical student holds a flag bearing the logo of the popular Japanese manga One Piece, a symbol adopted by Gen Z protest movements worldwide. © Luis Tato, AFP
They toppled governments, captured the attention of the world’s media and forced their way to the front of the political scene in countries across the Global South. But six months after mass demonstrations shook Nepal, Madagascar and Morocco, how many of the demands championed by these hyper-connected “Gen Z” protesters have been met? FRANCE 24 examines the track record of youth movements pushing for change in their countries and whether they have managed to position their demands on the political agenda.
They toppled governments, captured the attention of the world’s media and forced their way to the front of the political scene in countries across the Global South. But six months after mass demonstrations shook Nepal, Madagascar and Morocco, how many of the demands championed by these hyper-connected “Gen Z” protesters have been met? FRANCE 24 examines the track record of youth movements pushing for change in their countries and whether they have managed to position their demands on the political agenda.
Hope for true change in Nepal
It was a Gen Z success story. After the spectacular fall of the government of KP Sharma Oli, 35-year-old Balendra Shah last week became the youngest prime minister in the Himalayan country’s history. Sudan Gurung, another influential figure from the protest movement, was also appointed interior minister.
Nepal's new prime minister, popularly known as "Balen", is a former Kathmandu mayor and social media-savvy rapper who made his entry into politics as an outspoken voice against corruption. He built a strong following among young people fed up with the country’s longstanding institutional stagnation and entrenched political elites.
Balen's first move as premier was to act on a report by a commission investigating last year's bloody repression of mass demonstrations that called for those responsible for the crackdown to be charged. Former prime minister Oli has been placed in police custody, as has the country’s former interior minister.
Nepal's newly sworn-in prime minister Balendra Shah (C) gestures as former interim prime minister Sushila Karki (2R) and president Ram Chandra Paudel (L) look on during a swearing-in ceremony in Kathmandu on March 27, 2026.
© Prakash Mathema, AFP
But Balen is keeping the country in suspense over his plans to boost the country’s flagging economy, make the government more accountable, tackle corruption and redistribute the country’s wealth – key protest movement demands that swept the rapper to power.
“He doesn't do very many interviews – he doesn't really inspire confidence in that way,” said Feyzi Ismail, a lecturer in global politics and activism at Goldsmiths University of London. “But he really needs to come up with a very clear plan of action about what he's going to do to address these issues in concrete terms – like the unemployment crisis that drives almost 2,000 Nepalese people every day to leave the country to work overseas.”
The young prime minister takes office at a difficult time for the country. The US-Israeli war against Iran has driven up energy prices and affected the incomes of Nepalese migrant workers sending remittances back from the Middle East.
The worsening climate crisis also presents a serious challenge for the small Himalayan country, vulnerable as it is to flooding and landslides.
But Balen is keeping the country in suspense over his plans to boost the country’s flagging economy, make the government more accountable, tackle corruption and redistribute the country’s wealth – key protest movement demands that swept the rapper to power.
“He doesn't do very many interviews – he doesn't really inspire confidence in that way,” said Feyzi Ismail, a lecturer in global politics and activism at Goldsmiths University of London. “But he really needs to come up with a very clear plan of action about what he's going to do to address these issues in concrete terms – like the unemployment crisis that drives almost 2,000 Nepalese people every day to leave the country to work overseas.”
The young prime minister takes office at a difficult time for the country. The US-Israeli war against Iran has driven up energy prices and affected the incomes of Nepalese migrant workers sending remittances back from the Middle East.
The worsening climate crisis also presents a serious challenge for the small Himalayan country, vulnerable as it is to flooding and landslides.
Beaten at the ballot box in Bangladesh
The students who managed to overthrow the government of Sheikh Hasina in 2024 brought a genuine sense of renewal to the political landscape during February’s legislative elections. Transparency International Bangladesh reported that 28 percent of the candidates were under the age of 44. But it was the long-established Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its promise to restore stability across the country that won a crushing victory.
“I think the Gen Z movement, if you can call it that, it captured a moment, and it seems to capture some aspirations of young people,” Ismail said. “They don't want the status quo, and that's important, that really spoke to a lot of what people were thinking and that was kind of bubbling underneath under the society. But that is very different from having a real engagement with politics and political programmes.”
While the protesters’ demands largely shaped the course of public debate, political parties headed by members of the youth movement struggled to convert that momentum into electoral successes.
"The results of the February 2026 election suggest that while the protests transformed the political agenda, established political actors retained structural advantages within the electoral arena," wrote Imran Ahmed, research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies. "The strong performance of an established party such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party suggests trust in actors with organisational experience and governing capacity."
‘Gen Z 212’ under pressure in Morocco
Between arrests and judicial harassment, Morocco’s Gen Z activists have found themselves hounded on all sides. Several key figures from the movement born in September last year, as well as those supporting it, have been arrested in recent weeks.
On March 29, 20-year-old Moroccan rapper Souhaib Qabli was sentenced to eight years in prison and a fine of 1,000 dirhams for “contempt of a constitutional institution” and “dissemination of false information”.
In reality, Qabli was arrested for lyrics denouncing corruption among the country’s ruling elite and criticising Rabat’s decision to normalise ties with Israel. He is the third rapper considered close to the protest movement to be arrested since the demonstrations broke out.
One month earlier, Zineb Kharroubi, a member of the Gen Z 212 France collective made up of members of the Moroccan diaspora, was detained on arrival in Marrakesh for “incitement to commit crimes on the internet”.
“We have counted more than 5,000 arrests, and 2,000 people are still in prison. Families are afraid to go out on the streets, because doing so could result in harsher sentences for their loved ones,” said Hakim Sikouk, president of the Rabat chapter of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights. “The authorities have really cracked down hard on the movement. Today, it is in a state of clinical death.”
The youth movement is still waiting for the government to make good on the promises it made – after three weeks of street protests – to increase social spending, set up new medical centres and renovate 90 hospitals.
The country’s healthcare sector became a lightning rod for public anger in Morocco, a country wracked by worsening inequality. In September 2025, the death of eight women who had come to give birth in Agadir’s Hassan II Hospital became the spark that set off a blaze of fury across the country, driving thousands of protesters to the streets.
Madagascar in suspense
On the largest island in the Indian Ocean, the youth of Madagascar are staying vigilant. The new government appointed on March 25 has been met with scepticism by the Gen Z movement that paved the way for the ousting of president Andry Rajoelina in October. It’s not hard to see why: none of the figures from the protest movement have been named to the government, while most of the former government’s ministers remain in place.
The country's interim leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina, whose army unit backed the protesters, has pledged elections by late 2027, and is a widely respected figure. Randrianirina has made the fight against corruption his rallying cry since taking power last year, going so far as to subject his cabinet ministers to mandatory polygraph tests.
Newly sworn in President of Madagascar Michael Randrianirina (C) poses for a photograph following his swearing in ceremony in Antananarivo on October 17, 2025. © Rijasolo, AFP
"He has a reputation for integrity that appeals to many. That said, this is not a naive endorsement – everyone remains wary, because simply appointing someone with an anti-corruption agenda to head the government is no guarantee that an anti-corruption policy will be implemented," said Ketakandriana Rafitoson, a political science professor and researcher at the Catholic University of Madagascar and a member of Transparency International. “In Madagascar, many people – including young people – question the very notion of a ‘re-foundation’ today, because we’re still a long way away.”
According to the World Bank, Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries. Despite its abundant natural resources, three-quarters of the island's population live below the poverty line.
But the youth movement has not been sitting on its hands. Activists have set up a web site, published a charter and publicly positioned themselves as observers of the country’s re-foundation to guarantee "a deep systematic change in the face of corruption to build a free and sovereign Madagascar”.
"He has a reputation for integrity that appeals to many. That said, this is not a naive endorsement – everyone remains wary, because simply appointing someone with an anti-corruption agenda to head the government is no guarantee that an anti-corruption policy will be implemented," said Ketakandriana Rafitoson, a political science professor and researcher at the Catholic University of Madagascar and a member of Transparency International. “In Madagascar, many people – including young people – question the very notion of a ‘re-foundation’ today, because we’re still a long way away.”
According to the World Bank, Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries. Despite its abundant natural resources, three-quarters of the island's population live below the poverty line.
But the youth movement has not been sitting on its hands. Activists have set up a web site, published a charter and publicly positioned themselves as observers of the country’s re-foundation to guarantee "a deep systematic change in the face of corruption to build a free and sovereign Madagascar”.
Despite these lofty ambitions, the movement shows little desire to set itself up as a distinct political party.
“A number of them have been given positions or named as advisers, but without any influence on the course of events,” Rafitoson said. “But largely, this isn’t what the movement is looking for. The objective is that their ideas are taken into consideration and that they have a seat at the table, not that they occupy political posts.”
Kenya’s youth eye the presidential poll
Kenya’s streets have been cleared but Gen Z is still on the march. The movement recently launched a campaign to mobilise young voters ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Dubbed #NikoKadi (literally, "I have the card," referring to being registered to vote), the social media campaign shares videos of young Kenyans proudly showing off their voter registration cards. Some businesses have also publicly offered discounts to people who have signed up to the country’s electoral roll.
A screengrab of a campaign poster calling for Kenyans to register to vote.
© Screengrab from X
The movement has pledged to tackle voter abstention, especially among the country’s youth. Just 65 percent of Kenya’s 22.1 million voters cast a ballot in the 2022 general elections, down from 78 percent five years before, reflecting a growing disenchantment with the country’s political class.
In June 2024, a wave of protests led by the self-proclaimed “Generation Z” broke out in the east African country in response to President William Ruto’s announced tax hikes. The ensuing clashes were marked by looting, violence and police brutality, with at least a hundred people killed and dozens more disappeared.
"We want to improve the system,” said 26-year-old civil rights activist Ademba Allans, the figure behind the campaign. “We want to remove everyone in the government from office.”
“Apathy is one of the main obstacles,” he added.
This article has been translated from the original in French.
The movement has pledged to tackle voter abstention, especially among the country’s youth. Just 65 percent of Kenya’s 22.1 million voters cast a ballot in the 2022 general elections, down from 78 percent five years before, reflecting a growing disenchantment with the country’s political class.
In June 2024, a wave of protests led by the self-proclaimed “Generation Z” broke out in the east African country in response to President William Ruto’s announced tax hikes. The ensuing clashes were marked by looting, violence and police brutality, with at least a hundred people killed and dozens more disappeared.
"We want to improve the system,” said 26-year-old civil rights activist Ademba Allans, the figure behind the campaign. “We want to remove everyone in the government from office.”
“Apathy is one of the main obstacles,” he added.
This article has been translated from the original in French.
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