Populism meets reality in Senegal

A little over a year ago Senegalese voted in an election that almost did not happen. Macky Sall, the president at the time, had tried to postpone it, triggering a constitutional crisis. The landslide victory by Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the opposition candidate and an anti-corruption crusader who had been released from prison just two weeks earlier, was widely hailed as a triumph for democracy.

Mr Faye, who is 45 and new to political office, came to power on a wave of anti-Western and anti-elite sentiment. He promised to root out corruption, loosen ties with France and create much-needed jobs for Senegal’s frustrated young. Yet a year on, the realities of governing have considerably sobered his agenda.

Mr Faye’s prime minister and closest associate is Ousmane Sonko, Mr Sall’s most popular opponent, who had been barred from running for president following convictions for defamation and “corrupting youth”. (Mr Sonko denies wrongdoing and says the cases against him were politically motivated.) The duo claim that progress on their promises is being impeded by Mr Sall’s legacy, especially regarding the public finances. A report published by the court of auditors in February found that the budget deficit for 2023, the last year Mr Sall was in power, was 12.3% of gdp, not the previously reported 4.9%, and that public debt was a huge 99.7% of GDP. (Mr Sall denies wrongdoing.)

The governing party considers the report a victory for transparency. Officials from the IMF, who confirmed its findings during a visit in March, concur. Voters are less impressed. “We don’t expect them to lament on things,” says Ali Cissé, a 25-year-old student. “When the president says that our current financial situation is catastrophic, it’s discouraging.”

Some of Mr Faye’s populist policies, such as price controls on staple foods to ease the cost of living, have survived the fiscal squeeze. Yet it is forcing him into more conventional territory. He plans to raise taxes, lower subsidies and slim the public sector. The state no longer has the leeway to take on more debt, says Elimane Kané, who runs a think-tank in Dakar.

The promised “rupture” with French and Western influence is also off the agenda. Mr Faye has not made good on plans to abandon the Euro-pegged currency. He is renegotiating a much-needed $1.8bn credit facility with the IMF (the credit line is worth 5.8% of GDP). His first state visit outside Africa was to France. Bosses of global oil firms who worried that the government might disrupt their business are sleeping easier than a year ago.

It is all a far cry from the fiery speeches with which Mr Faye started. But it may turn out to be better for Senegal. ■

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