"Manipulation," "opacity," "lack of sincerity"... The National Assembly brings out the heavy artillery against the Minister of Finance

The budget battle between the government and the National Assembly is taking on the appearance of a genuine institutional confrontation. The rejection of the 2026 supplementary budget bill (PLFR) on November 3rd has clearly not closed the matter. Rather, it has opened a new front, this time concerning the 2027 initial budget bill (PLFI), prompting a particularly scathing response from Parliament.

In an official statement released this Thursday, November 5, the Chairman of the Finance and Budget Control Committee of the National Assembly, Alphonse Mané Sambou, takes a strong stance and minces no words. Accused by the Executive branch of budgetary obstruction after suggesting the government withdraw the 2027 budget, he counterattacks by directly challenging the approach and communication of the Minister of Economy, Finance, and Planning. Referring to the controversy surrounding the parliamentary calendar, the parliamentary official raises an embarrassing question for the Executive branch: how can the government base its 2027 budget forecasts on the assumptions of a 2026 Supplementary Budget Bill that the National Assembly has just rejected? For Alphonse Mané Sambou, the macroeconomic and budgetary framework of the 2027 Finance Bill, whether in terms of revenue, expenditure, deficit, or financing needs, is based on data from the rejected supplementary budget bill. Citing pages 18 to 20 of the budget document, which are devoted to revenue forecasts for the general budget and special Treasury accounts, the elected official sees a paradox that is difficult to defend. According to him, the government constructed its 2027 budget using as a reference a text on which Parliament had not yet voted and which, now rejected, is removed from the legal framework. It was precisely this technical inconsistency that led him to suggest the withdrawal of the 2027 Finance Bill.

The chairman of the committee, however, was keen to dispel any ambiguity about his approach: it was in no way an injunction issued to the government, but rather an initiative intended to foster institutional dialogue and facilitate the adoption of the budget. Since the government remains free to withdraw or maintain its text, the National Assembly intends to fully exercise its constitutional prerogatives. It is on this point that Alphonse Mané Sambou refutes any suggestion of obstruction. According to the elected official, there is no contradiction between the suggestion of withdrawal and the proper convening of the committee, as Parliament is constitutionally obligated to examine the draft budget within a maximum of 60 days of its submission, in accordance with Article 68 of the Constitution. Submitted on October 12, 2026, the draft budget gives members of parliament just over a month to conduct a veritable budgetary marathon. The committee thus affirms that it began its work based solely on the text that was properly submitted to it. Regarding the summons deadlines, the parliamentarian clarified that the Executive branch had been notified 48 hours before the start of the proceedings, and that the presence of Minister Bacary Sarr, the government spokesperson, at the Conference of Presidents on November 3rd had allowed for the scheduling to be finalized. The delay in delivering the physical summons necessitated a rescheduling to Saturday, November 7th, and therefore the ministry cannot claim a failure to comply with procedural rules.

Beyond the scheduling disputes, the Finance Committee's most severe criticism concerns the accuracy of public accounts. Alphonse Mané Sambou directly attributes the rejection of the 2026 Amending Finance Bill to the Minister himself, denouncing the "opacity" of his management and the "lack of sincerity" of the text submitted to the National Assembly for a vote. Deploring the proliferation of remarks deemed "disparaging and discourteous" towards the second-highest institution of the Republic, the committee chairman directly addresses the Minister of Finance: "Since when does convening a Finance Committee to examine a draft finance bill that has been duly submitted to it constitute budgetary obstruction?" The statement concludes with a firm warning: "No attempt to manipulate public opinion will prevent the National Assembly from carrying out its work conscientiously. [...] Show some composure and maintain republican decorum, Mr. Minister!"