Senegal is electing a new president because incumbent Sall is no longer running. The election under difficult circumstances is also a vote on the future of Europe in the West African country.
There was once a Sahel close to Europe and therefore Germany: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad or Senegal. Of this group, only Senegal remains a partner – the country that has stood for stability for decades and respects basic democratic values more than its neighbors. But also the country that has been hit by violent protests in recent months.
“Senegal was the poster child for democracy for years,” says Senegalese political scientist Rama Salla Dieng. “Now more than 60 people who campaigned for a new social contract have died in the demonstrations.”
Protests against Sall’s persistence
What happened? Contrary to what the constitution requires, Senegal’s incumbent President Macky Sall remained silent for a long time about whether he would seek a third term in office or not. The opposition had called on him several times to make it clear that he respected the constitution. It was not until July 2023 that Macky Sall complied with the request and publicly stated that he wanted to vacate his seat after the next election. But instead of relief, dissatisfaction drove more and more people onto the streets of the capital Dakar.
Always at the forefront: the most popular opposition figure, Ousmane Sonko. In 2021 there were allegations of rape against him, and he was then convicted of “seducing young people”. As a result, Sonko is no longer allowed to run in the presidential election and his party “Patriotic Africans of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity” has even been dissolved.
Since then, allegations have been made against him again and again, which have made him a martyr in the eyes of his supporters, explains Dieng: “Why does he keep getting arrested? Is it really about the allegations or is it all just made up?”
When President Sall postponed the election that was initially planned for the end of the month at the beginning of February, the patience of the people of Senegal was finally at an end. They have been on the barricades ever since.
Political scientist Dieng finds this understandable: “I believe that these protests and unrest are essential for a democracy. They are healthy.”
Supporters of the opposition Ousmane Sonko express their displeasure during major protests against the postponement of the election.
Trust in democratic institutions
In fact, President Sall cannot go through with his plan; the Constitutional Council ruled: The elections may neither be canceled nor postponed. Now they are happening. For Dieng, this is a sign of strength: “Senegal has strong institutions that act like a buffer against a seizure of power or a military coup – like in Mali, Burkina Faso or Niger.”
People are also looking at the elections in Senegal from political Berlin. Karamba Diaby, chairman of the West Africa parliamentary group in the Bundestag, also sees the demonstrations as a sign of strength: “Senegal has a tradition of democracy with regular elections. That’s why you can’t compare the developments in Mali or Burkina Faso with Senegal.”
Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that anti-French and therefore also anti-European voices are increasing in Senegal – still in the heart of Françafrique. The opposition member Sonko, who is not allowed to run on Sunday, has popularized these positions: Senegal needs its own currency, not one that is linked to the euro. Senegal does not need French supermarkets or the Total group in the country. More independence now seems to be the motto.
Young people
Young people in particular sympathize with the putschists from the Sahel region and envy them for their courage in throwing the French and the West out of their countries. Those eligible to vote are likely to cast their vote for Sonko’s protégé Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Almost five million eligible voters are under 40 years old. Conversely, around 2.5 million are over 40 years old. A mood of change after years of France-friendly policies could be spreading.
However, SPD politician Diaby believes that blaming Europe is short-sighted: “There are home-made mistakes,” he says. “It’s a powder keg if you don’t create the framework conditions for younger people to have perspective.” The infrastructure has improved and hospitals and universities have been built, but: “Youth must participate in the investments; they were not taken seriously enough. That was a mistake.”
Young fans of presidential candidate Diomaye Faye, whom Ousmane Sonko has called for to support – since he himself is not allowed to run.
As long as Senegal’s youth are not included, there will be no peace in the country – with consequences for Europe, warns Diaby: “If the radical opposition wins, then it will of course be very, very difficult for cooperation between Europe and Senegal.”
Concerns that political scientist Dieng also shares. But she caveats: The election result is “a wake-up call for Europe to question itself and its goals: What is foreign policy really about? And that is a question that only Europe can answer.”