Senegal’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye has faced challenges on multiple fronts during his presidency. He and Ousmane Sonko, his prime minister, tried to implement their agenda but initially were met by resistance from the National Assembly, which was still dominated by parties not aligned with their African Patriots of Senegal for Labor, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF) party. This issue was resolved after Faye dissolved the legislative body and held early elections, in which PASTEF won a majority of seats. Faye also has had to navigate a worsening financial situation for Senegal: An audit he ordered of the previous administration’s finances found that the country’s debt and budget deficit had been underreported, which has led to fiscal austerity measures and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for loan assistance.
Faye has also had to deal with what appears to be a deteriorating partnership with Sonko. The two have had differences of opinion on multiple issues, and in May 2026 he dismissed Sonko from the prime minister position. Sonko, who still had much support in PASTEF, was made president of the National Assembly, which provides him with the opportunity to impede Faye’s legislative agenda.