Senegal’s president Faye at a crossroads ahead of national consultations

As Senegal prepares for its national consultations from May 21 to 31, 2026, the country stands at one of the most pivotal moments in its recent political history.

By opting for targeted consultations—scheduled around religious festivities rather than the large-scale political gatherings that have historically defined national dialogues—the nation’s newly elected president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, signals a strategic shift toward institutional consolidation and the reaffirmation of presidential authority.

Yet this decisive move unfolds against a backdrop of mounting tensions at the highest levels of government. The complex relationship between the President and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, alongside internal divisions within the ruling coalition, social unrest, and geopolitical pressures, demand nothing short of stability, cohesion, and collective responsibility from all stakeholders.

These consultations cannot be business as usual. They represent a critical juncture for Senegal to steer clear of a protracted political crisis with far-reaching, unpredictable consequences.

Today, Senegal faces an unprecedented institutional landscape: a parliamentary majority politically aligned with the Prime Minister, an opposition deeply rooted in the party of former President Macky Sall, and a President tasked with safeguarding institutional balance and national unity. This reality calls for clarity, responsibility, and a willingness to transcend partisan divides. Governance in Senegal can no longer thrive on exclusionary tactics.

In the pursuit of lasting stability, three key political blocs have emerged as central players: the presidential bloc rooted in the Diomaye coalition, the political force centered around Pastef, and the opposition organized under the APR and its allies within the Democratic Republican Front.

The choices made by these forces—and their supporters—will shape the outcome of the upcoming consultations. The goal is clear: to forge a consensual update of the rules governing Senegal’s democracy, paving the way for a more resilient, balanced, and crisis-resistant republic.

Beyond the leading political figures of the moment, every segment of Senegalese society must play a role in this renewal: political parties and leaders, labor unions, civil society, religious and traditional authorities, the private sector, academia, youth, women, and all other vital stakeholders of the nation.

Senegal is in dire need of a new national pact—one built on shared, universally respected rules that rise above partisan interests and perpetual confrontation.

History teaches that no democracy can endure without intelligent compromises among its principal political forces. When struck at the right moment, these compromises strengthen nations. Delayed or rejected, they often lead to destructive confrontations where everyone loses—most tragically, the country itself.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye now stands at a historic crossroads. His challenge is to rise above the weight of partisan politics and transform this period of tension into an opportunity to rebuild Senegal’s democracy from the ground up.

May wisdom, foresight, and an unwavering commitment to the national interest prevail—firmly and exclusively in the service of Senegal.

By Abdou Fall, Former Minister of State