Message to the Nation: Patrice Talon lays out his political testament.
The President of the Republic, Patrice Talon, delivered this Tuesday, December 23, 2025, his tenth message to the Nation. A speech with a strong political and symbolic charge, which the Head of State himself presented as a legacy, as his term draws to a close.
Patrice Talon à l’Assemblée nationale ce jeudi 21 décembre 2023 pour son discours sur l’état de la nation
Through this solemn address, he laid out an overall assessment of his tenure and sketched the trajectory that he now regards as irreversible for Benin.
To the Beninese people, Patrice Talon first stressed the state of national cohesion. According to him, the country he is about to leave is marked by strengthened unity, with no religious, ethnic, or political tensions likely to undermine social cohesion.
He stated that preserving social peace and the integrity of the territory has been a central pillar of his actions, in a regional context marked by repeated security and institutional crises.
Institutionally, the head of state assured that the constitutional fundamentals have not only been preserved but consolidated. He spoke of stronger institutions, capable of withstanding shocks and guaranteeing the continuity of the State.
For Patrice Talon, these gains constitute an indispensable foundation for any sustainable development ambition and for the country’s democratic stability.
The president also highlighted the structural transformations undertaken during his terms. Without going into a detailed inventory, he underscored that the reforms carried out have repositioned Benin on the regional and international stage.
According to him, the country is now looked at with interest, sometimes with admiration, and even arouses jealousy, proof, in his view, of the path traveled. In his message, Patrice Talon sought to project himself beyond his own political career. He believed that Benin is now on a development trajectory that no one man can appropriate for himself.
The foundations, he affirmed, are laid so that future generations can build a more prosperous future, in a peaceful and secure environment.
This tenth message to the Nation thus takes the form of a transmission speech. A few months before the end of his term, President Talon sought to reassure, convince and leave the image of a country up and running. A Benin that he describes as stable, united and ready to continue its march toward development, beyond any particular leader and any political timetable.