Politics of Benin: institutions, Constitution, elections and diplomacy

The politics of Benin: regime and actors

The politics of Benin rest on a presidential system set by the 1990 Constitution, revised several times. The President of the Republic, elected by direct universal suffrage together with a vice-president, is both head of state and head of government. Since 24 May 2026, Romuald Wadagni has held this office, succeeding Patrice Talon.

Constitution, executive and Parliament

On 15 November 2025 the National Assembly adopted a constitutional revision by 90 votes to 19, promulgated in December 2025. The presidential term goes from five to seven years starting with the April 2026 election, and the two-term limit is maintained. The revision also creates a Senate, which makes Parliament a two-chamber institution.

The Senate has 25 members, made up of ex officio members, including former heads of state, and designated personalities. Installed on 30 July 2026 in Porto-Novo, it is tasked, under Article 113.1 of the Constitution, with safeguarding national unity, political stability, democracy and peace. Its bureau was elected on 6 August 2026: Patrice Talon chairs it for five years, with 24 votes out of 25.

The National Assembly has 109 members. Joseph Djogbénou presides over its tenth legislature. The Constitutional Court reviews the conformity of laws and proclaims the final results of elections.

Elections: legislative and presidential

The legislative elections of 11 January 2026 gave all 109 seats to two parties of the presidential camp: the Union Progressiste le Renouveau holds 60 and the Bloc Républicain 49. According to the National Autonomous Electoral Commission, turnout was 36.7%. The party Les Démocrates won 16.14% of the vote, below the legal threshold for representation.

The presidential election was held on 12 April 2026. Two candidacies were accepted under the sponsorship system: Romuald Wadagni, a former Minister of Economy and Finance, and Paul Hounkpè. Romuald Wadagni won in the first round with more than 94% of the votes cast, and the Constitutional Court confirmed the result. He was sworn in on 24 May 2026 at the Palais des Congrès in Cotonou, for a seven-year term running until 2033.

Diplomacy: the politics of Benin in the region

Benin is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). An attempted coup was foiled in December 2025, with support from Nigeria and Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) within the framework of ECOWAS.

The relationship with Niger remains a central issue. The shared border has been closed since July 2023, and bilateral talks were opened in 2026 to remove obstacles to cooperation, but the border remained closed at the end of July 2026. Security in the north, exposed to violence from the Sahel, and the reception of Burkinabe, Nigerien and Togolese refugees complete the country's external agenda.