Politics of Congo-Brazzaville: Constitution, elections and diplomacy
Politics of Congo-Brazzaville: a semi-presidential republic
The politics of Congo-Brazzaville revolve around a semi-presidential republic, governed by the 2015 Constitution, approved by referendum. The President of the Republic, head of state, is elected by universal suffrage for five years and appoints a Prime Minister, while legislative power is exercised by a two-chamber Parliament.
Constitution and executive power
The 2015 Constitution restored the post of Prime Minister. Denis Sassou N'Guesso has held the presidency since 1997. Anatole Collinet Makosso has been head of government since 12 May 2021.
After the president's re-election, the government resigned on 17 April 2026. The president accepted the resignation, then reappointed Anatole Collinet Makosso on 23 April 2026. The new government has 42 members, Prime Minister included: one Deputy Prime Minister, three ministers of state and 37 ministers.
Parliament and political parties
The National Assembly has 151 members, elected for five years in single-member constituencies. The Senate has 72 members, elected for six years by local and regional councillors. The Council of Ministers deliberates on bills, ordinances and decrees, and the right to initiate legislation belongs to the president as well as to members of Parliament.
The system is formally pluralist, but the Congolese Labour Party (PCT), the president's party, dominates political life. In the 2022 legislative elections, it won more than 110 of the Assembly's 151 seats, ahead of UPADS and UDH-YUKI, which won seven seats each.
Latest presidential election and confirmed results
The presidential vote was held in March 2026. On 28 March 2026, the Constitutional Court confirmed the re-election of Denis Sassou N'Guesso with 94.90% of the votes cast, or 2,509,456 votes, on a turnout of 84.99%. Mabio Mavoungou-Zinga came second with 1.40%.
The independent candidate Uphrem Dave Mafoula had filed an application to annul the result. The Court held that the irregularities alleged were not proven and rejected it. The president was sworn in on 16 April 2026, for a fifth consecutive term. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission congratulated him on 30 March 2026.
Diplomacy and regional role of Congo-Brazzaville
Congo is a member of CEMAC and of the African Union. Brazzaville hosted an extraordinary summit of CEMAC heads of state on 22 January 2026, devoted to the macroeconomic stability of the sub-region.
The president chairs the African Union High-Level Committee on Libya, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission also praised, on 16 August 2026, Congo's discreet role in bringing Algeria and Mali closer together. Congo and China co-chair the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The country is also seeking a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2030-2031, with a vote scheduled for 2029: the foreign minister, Constant-Serge Bounda, asked African states for their support on 28 July 2026 in Addis Ababa.