Politics of Senegal

This article is about recent and past political developments in Senegal. For the Senegal government, see Government of Senegal.

Politics in Senegal takes place within the framework of a presidential democratic republic. The President of Senegal is the head of state and government. Executive power in Senegal is concentrated in the president's hands.

While legislative power is technically vested in both the government and the parliament, the parliament rarely introduces legislation or votes down legislation proposed by the government. Similarly, although the Judiciary is theoretically independent of the executive and the legislature, the executive branch seems to exert undue control over the judiciary.

Senegal has during its independent history toed a line between democracy and competitive authoritarianism. Senegal is one of the few African states that has never experienced a coup d'état or exceptionally harsh authoritarianism. Léopold Senghor, the first president after independence, resigned in 1981, handing over the office of president to his Prime Minister, Abdou Diouf.

Senegal became democratic around 2000, although political repression, attempts to overstay in power, and delays in parliamentary elections have occurred. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Senegal a "hybrid regime" in 2022. Democratic backsliding occurred during Macky Sall's second term in office. The current president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, was elected in democratic elections in March 2024, after a turbulent election cycle where the incumbent president Macky Sall tried to postpone the election.

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