, Having broken the government s monopoly in the national assembly, winning 28 of the 109 seats in last Sunday s legislative elections, the Démocrates have established themselves as the principal opposition force in Benin – and the only one represented in the national assembly. This leaves them placed to mount a presidential challenge in 2026, when any candidate will have to be nominated by parliamentarians.
, Sentenced to 20 years in jail on terrorism charges, the outspoken ex-minister Reckya Madougou has been formally removed from the Béninois political scene, as has the respected constitutional scholar Joël Aïvo, sentenced to 10 years for money-laundering and plotting against the state.