President Patrice Talon oversaw rapid economic and infrastructure development in Benin during his decade in office, helping raise annual GDP growth from 3% to 6%. But the gains have coincided with a sharp erosion of democratic freedoms, leaving Benin’s development under Talon a story of economic progress alongside increasingly authoritarian rule.

Known as the “cotton king”, Talon built his fortune in agriculture and expanded into banking and hospitality before becoming president in 2016; he left office this May. Election rules and fees weakened the opposition, the government shut down the internet during 2019 election protests, and critics and former allies faced prosecution. A constitutional amendment extended presidential terms from five to seven years, created a government-appointed senate and set barriers that kept opposition parties out of parliament; only one opposition candidate was approved for April’s presidential election, which Talon’s hand-picked successor won.