Communication politique et séduction à travers la Déclaration de politique générale du Premier ministre Idrissa Seck à l'Assemblée nationale le 03 février 2003

2.4 The sincere man

The ethos of sincerity is spread in the speech of general policy of the Prime Minister through a diagnosis without kindness of reality, and the formulation of measurements, not always popular, but likely to improve the situation. Thus, in the field of the budgetary distribution, the Prime Minister expresses, without turnings, his dissatisfaction compared to the way in which the important sum allocated with education is spent, without to give convincing results :

The moment perhaps had just leant seriously on the way of spending this money in relation to the aims in view because, for the time being, the output of the investment authorized by the Nation is very in on this side results observed. (Seck 2003 : 15)

By doing this, the Prime Minister is conscious that it is caught some with a sector more sensitive. Indeed, Education is the sector from which leave the majority the social movements. Consequently, to call into question the budget which is allocated to him or to dispute the relevance of its results would not fail to displease with its members which are, at the same time, represented very well within the French National Assembly^42(*).

But this sincerity functions less like one reproach, than an interpellation of the various components of the company, in order to create the conditions of a questioning and a start, adequate to lead the country in the way of the durable development. Sincerity, here, is initially of a deliberative and nonlegal nature. It is not put at the service of an indictment against certain components of the company. It allows, on the contrary, on the basis of diagnosis, to start the dialog to define, together, the best way for the Nation. This purely utility dimension, and not polemist of sincerity, are returned by the choice of the personal pronouns in the expression of this sincerity. Indeed, in the majority of the passages where sincerity is spread through a nonobliging diagnosis, they is us inclusive who is used as it is the case for the question of urban mobility :

The resolution of the problem of urban mobility implies sacrifices which we must accept. They are in particular expropriations to be made for the enlarging of roads, with, of course, the compensation for expropriés, in accordance with the laws and payments in force. (Seck 2003 : 21)

It is the same when the Prime Minister describes the difficulties with which is confronted the Senegalese industrial fabric and suitable measurements to take :

We must be ready, as soon as possible, to face a hard competition on our markets, national, sous-régional and international. To ensure our companies the tools of their participation in this competition, it is all our economic system which requires to be levelled. (Seck 2003 : 18)

This glittering table few components of the economy sénégalaise challenges all the actors, as well the public sector as the private contractors. Each one having a role to play. Thus, the State is ready to resort to « privatization » of the rail network, « handicapped by the outdatedness of the ways and the travelling material who authorizes only extremely low block speeds " (Seck 2003 : 20), in order to support the economic activity of the companies sénégalaises. In the same way, the Government « chose, on a continent scale like on our premises, to make private sector the principal engine of the growth and development » (Seck 2003 : 19). However, the engagement of the State would not know alone to be enough. It is essential that the private sector plays its partition fully. Thus, according to the Prime Minister, « the companies themselves will have to be levelled to benefit from these efforts » (Seck 2003 : 19)

Sincerity becomes even a mode of management of the businesses of the City ; a rallying cry around of which everyone will have to be found. From where its form of stating which is not without pointing out the turning of the slogan : « Let us make another thing for our children » (Seck 2003 : 15) or : « It is necessary for us to support what goes and to optimize the expenditure which we carry out » (Seck 2003 : 15).

Beyond its dimension « utility », sincerity proves as a requirement D `order ethical which forces the speaker to recognize his limits while refusing to pledge that under no circumstances would it hold. This is why, although conscious of the need of « (...) to guarantee, with each Sénégalaise and each Senegalese who, by the grace of God, reached the shrinkage limit age, the access to the incomes preserved for him throughout its active life » (Seck 2003 : 24), the Prime Minister acknowledges his impotence, in the current state of the things, to ensure this right :

Today, I am not in measurement to ensure it, because of rise of the life expectancy and the fall of the number of the cotisants. (Seck 2003 : 24)

This way, the Prime Minister gives the indication of a man in rupture with the traditional representation in progress in connection with the policies. Those, within the public opinion, are perceived as being prompt to make promises without never respecting them. By there, the ethos of the sincere man takes part to found the singular image of a man who belongs to the political community all while being detached some from his intrinsic qualities. Such sign that sincerity ends up taking the vehement forms of reproaches and criticisms of some practice social. Indeed, the Prime Minister is astonished to note that in spite of the technological and social projections which made that the Man « transformed the impetuous wind in electricity, faced the airs by its planes, explored space by satellites and rockets », « certain apparently simple things still remain with the state of building site » :

I want to speak about this driver who burns the fire of Soumbédioune, this Mister which, at the bank, refuses to make the tail, of this agent of company or the State which wants monnayer illegally its service. (Seck 2003 : 28)

While showing reason practical, by the clearness and the coherence of the respectful speech of the forms and innovating by a didactic and teaching concern marked ; posted the attributes of a virtuous man, through the faith, justice, humility, sincerity, the Prime Minister shows his attachment with his audience by posting all its benevolence.

* ⁴² The teaching body would be the majority socio-professional category with the French National Assembly.