« L'État n'est le butin d'aucune majorité » : Le discours cash d’Ousmane Sonko à l’Assemblée nationale
At the opening of the National Assembly's single ordinary session for 2026-2027, the inaugural address placed transparency, accountability, and the evaluation of public policies at the heart of the demands placed on public authorities. Beyond the regularity of expenditures, the challenge now lies in measuring their real impact on the living conditions of Senegalese citizens. Special funds and the management of natural resources were also among the topics discussed.
The management of public funds should no longer be judged solely on the basis of adherence to procedures. This was one of the key messages of the speech delivered at the opening of the 2026-2027 single ordinary session of the National Assembly. Indeed, addressing the members of parliament, Ousmane Sonko emphasized the need to strengthen transparency and accountability in the conduct of public affairs. "The public good obliges us," he reminded them, stressing that state resources cannot be considered the property of those temporarily wielding power. "The state is not the property of a government. The public treasury is not the patrimony of any official. Institutions are not the spoils of any majority," he declared. Behind these pronouncements lies a fundamental requirement: public officials must be able to explain their decisions, justify the use of the resources at their disposal, and be accountable for the results achieved.
Spending regularly is no longer enough
The PASTEF leader particularly emphasized the need to go beyond traditional spending controls. An operation can, in fact, comply with administrative procedures without achieving its assigned objectives. "An expenditure can comply with all procedures and fail to achieve all its objectives," the speaker stressed. This remark directly relates to the question of the effectiveness of public action. It is no longer simply a matter of verifying whether funds have been committed in accordance with the rules, but also of determining whether the investments made have produced the expected results and improved the living conditions of the population, he argued. He added that "the evaluation of public policies thus takes a central place in parliamentary oversight. It must allow us to measure results, identify shortcomings, and, when necessary, correct the choices made."
Special funds and natural resources under the scrutiny of members of parliament
Transparency in the management of natural resources was another key theme of the speech. Recalling that these resources belong to the people, in accordance with Article 25 of the Constitution, the speaker advocated for strengthening parliamentary oversight of their management. So-called special funds were also discussed. Transparency, he explained, does not mean that all information must be made public indiscriminately. It cannot justify an infringement on privacy or the presumption of innocence. However, confidentiality requirements must not be used to exempt decisions that affect the public interest from all oversight. These statements come at a time when several parliamentary initiatives aim to strengthen control over public management, particularly in the areas of natural resources and special funds.
Furthermore, he emphasized the link between transparency and democratic trust. For him, this trust cannot be based solely on declarations of intent. "It is built through consistency between words and actions, but also through the ability for citizens to verify the information communicated to them." He also advocated for public information to be understandable and accessible in national languages. The publication of administrative documents is not enough if their content remains difficult for the public to grasp.
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