The politics of Mali take place within the context of a military junta that has been in power since the 2020 and 2021 military coups. Mali was a secular multi-party constitutional republic, in which the president of Mali was the head of state and the prime minister was the head of government. Mali experienced increasing democratization and civil liberties from the early 1990s until the 2012 Tuareg rebellion and subsequent military coup. Though constitutional rule was restored, there was increasing instability, culminating in the 2020 and 2021 coups. The Malian military junta, consisting of five army generals, announced a "Charter of Transition" before enacting a new constitution in 2023. Although there was a constitutional separation of executive, legislative, and judicial powers, in practice the political system is dominated by the junta.

The original constitution, adopted in 1992, identifies eight institutions of the state; including the presidency; the government; the National Assembly; the Supreme, Constitutional, and High Courts; the High Council of Territorial Units; and the Economic, Social, and Cultural Council. Executive power is held by the government, and it was responsible to the National Assembly, which held legislative power. The government, consisting of the Council of Ministers, is led by the prime minister, appointed and presided over by the president. The constitution also provided for an independent judiciary. The 2023 constitution still guarantees civil liberties on paper, but it changed Mali's political system from a semi-presidential system to a presidential system, in which the government is responsible to the president rather than the legislature.

In August 2018, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was re-elected for a new five-year term after winning the second round of the election against Soumaïla Cissé. However, in August 2020 a coup d'état ousted the president and prime minister. On 25 September 2020, retired colonel and former defence minister Bah Ndaw was sworn in as Mali's interim president. On 15 April 2021, the transitional administration announced that legislative and presidential elections will be held on 27 February 2022. On 7 June 2021, Col. Assimi Goïta was sworn into office as the new interim president. On 30 December 2021, the transitional administration announced plans to delay the election by six months to five years in part because of security issues. On 14 May 2025, the military junta ordered the dissolution of all political parties and organizations. On 4 July 2025 a law was passed by the National Transitional Council that gave Goïta a five year term that is renewable indefinitely without elections.

The executive branch consists of the President of Mali and the Government of Mali, led by the Prime Minister of Mali.

Under Mali's 1992 constitution, the president is chief of state and commander in chief of the armed forces. The president is elected to 5-year terms by direct popular vote. He is limited to two terms.

The Prime Minister of Mali is the head of government. They are appointed by the president and are responsible for the appointment of the other ministers of government.

The president chairs the Council of Ministers (the prime minister and currently^[when?] 27 other ministers), which adopts a proposals for laws submitted to the National Assembly for approval of them.

The National Assembly is the sole legislative arm of the Malian government. It has 160 members, who are elected directly for a five-year term by party list. 147 members are elected in single-seat constituencies and 13 members elected by Malians abroad. Representation is apportioned according to the population of administrative districts.