he was sworn in on 6 april 2016. the composition of his government was announced later in the day. there was no prime minister, and two defeated presidential candidates who had backed talon in the second round, pascal koupaki and abdoulaye bio-tchane, were appointed to key posts; koupaki as secretary-general of the presidency and bio-tchane as minister of state for planning and development. talon pledged to increase the fortunes of benin in five years and improve its relationship with france. some of his policy goals are reducing the power of the executive and reducing presidents to single terms of five years, an unheard of suggestion in africa.