Politics of Togo: Fifth Republic, powers and diplomacy

Politics of Togo: a parliamentary republic

The politics of Togo rests on the Constitution promulgated on 6 May 2024, which established the Fifth Republic, of a parliamentary type. The President of the Republic, elected by Parliament sitting in Congress, mainly performs a representative function, while executive power lies with the President of the Council, leader of the majority party or coalition in the National Assembly.

President of the Republic and President of the Council

Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové was elected President of the Republic by Congress on 3 May 2025, under Article 35 of the Constitution, on the proposal of the parliamentary groups and by secret ballot. Article 37 sets the presidential term at four years, renewable once.

Faure Gnassingbé heads the government as President of the Council. Under Article 47, this office goes to the leader of the majority party after the Constitutional Court proclaims the results, and he takes the oath before that court. He may stake the government's responsibility before the National Assembly, which in turn has a motion of no confidence at its disposal.

National Assembly, Senate and Constitutional Court

The National Assembly has 113 seats, of which 108 belong to the Union for the Republic (UNIR). Its deputies are elected for six years by direct universal suffrage. The Senate, created by the 2024 Constitution, has 61 members: 41 elected by the representatives of local authorities and 20 appointed. Former Presidents of the Republic and of the Council sit there by right.

The Constitutional Court has nine members appointed for seven years, non-renewable. It ensures respect for the Constitution, proclaims election results and issues final decisions.

Elections and party life in the politics of Togo

Togo no longer chooses its head of state by universal suffrage. The first senatorial elections took place on 15 February 2025: UNIR won 34 of the 41 seats to be filled, the other seven going to other lists, while part of the opposition had not stood.

The municipal elections of 17 July 2025 covered 117 communes. According to the provisional results, UNIR won 1,150 of the 1,527 municipal council seats, or 75.31%. The administrative chamber of the Supreme Court confirmed the final results on 6 August 2025.

Togo's diplomacy and regional organisations

Togo is a member of the African Union, ECOWAS, WAEMU, OHADA and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. It joined the Commonwealth in 2022. Lomé hosts the headquarters of BOAD, that of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development and a regional office of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.

Faure Gnassingbé was appointed African Union mediator in April 2025 in the crisis between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. On 18 April 2026, Lomé presented a Togo-Sahel strategy for 2026-2028 to the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, gathered in the Alliance of Sahel States. It rests on five pillars, including political dialogue, logistics corridors and security cooperation. Togo has extended the security state of emergency in the north until March 2027.