Benin: Bertin Koovi refocuses the debate on the attributions of the President of the Senate and defends the primacy of the head of state.

In response to concerns raised about a potential overlap of powers, the political figure sought to clarify the role of the newly elected president of the Senate, former head of state Patrice Talon.

In his explanation, Bertin Koovi implied that Patrice Talon’s election as head of the second chamber does not change the conduct of executive power in Benin in any way.

Reminding that there is only one head of state in the person of Romuald Wadagni, he specified that the presidency of the Senate remains a strictly parliamentary position that does not confer any authority over government action.

The Senate, a body of regulation and continuity

Refuting any association of the Senate with a mere replica of the National Assembly, Bertin Koovi presented the institution as a space for regulation based on experience and institutional memory.

Born from the constitutional revision of December 17, 2025, which established bicameralism, the chamber gathers 25 members, including former presidents Nicéphore Soglo, Thomas Boni Yayi, and Patrice Talon as ex officio members.

While admitting the legitimacy of criticisms regarding pluralism within this new body, the speaker called for an open democratic debate about its functioning.