Unofficial counts from Indonesia’s presidential election on 14 February suggest a comfortable victory for Prabowo Subianto. Like his political backer, outgoing president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, he brought a populist policy agenda to the table that appealed to Indonesia’s poor voters.
Strategy
Indonesia’s aspirations to join a club of mostly rich democracies will be an uphill task because it has a long way to go to align its governance, anti-corruption, environmental, and other policies with the group’s stringent norms, analysts said.
Indonesia and Australia held high-level talks in Jakarta on Friday as the neighboring countries seek to strengthen security ties by signing a defense cooperation agreement in the coming months.
‘Not too many surprises’: Prabowo, Indonesia’s fiery next president, vows good neighbourly relations
The presumptive next president of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, a fiery and populist former general who has railed against supposed foreign meddling, says Australia needn’t fear “too many surprises” when he takes over from Joko Widodo in October.
Australia is no longer competitive in the nickel market, largely due to Indonesia’s recent domination in the sector. This domination strategy has been carefully planned by Indonesia as it looks to boost its downstream industrial policy in critical minerals processing with the backing of Chinese investments.
Indonesians in Australia who voted in this week’s presidential elections have expressed scepticism about the provisional results and concerns about the future should the provisional winner, Prabowo Subianto, be officially confirmed as the country’s next president.
Indonesia has seen many faces of Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto over his decades in the public eye – the cheshire grin that accompanies his recent viral dance moves, flashes of his temper in fervent orations and the humiliation when he was dismissed from the military in 1998.
From all-expenses paid trips to cover China’s Belt and Road summit to content-sharing agreements with major media outlets, Beijing is investing in ways to share its narrative with Indonesian audiences, analysts say.
In the debate, the presidential candidates expressed their respective visions and missions regarding Indonesia’s defense and security problems which they would later raise.
Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao expressed gratitude to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo for the strong support extended by Indonesia towards Timor Leste’s bid to join ASEAN, during his first-ever visit to the Bogor Palace.
People exchanges between the two countries will deepen the economic partnership, regardless of leadership change.
Jakarta is proposing to sell anti-submarine aircraft to Manila even as it expresses interest in acquiring Chinese naval missiles.
Since the beginning of Israel’s invasion of Gaza, Indonesia has shown a strong sense of solidarity towards Palestine.
Prabowo’s political trajectory is a case study of resilience and reinvention. Throughout his long career he has faced accusations of war crimes, incompetence and even treason – and yet his detractors have never managed to end his political influence.
Since the most recent conflict erupted between Israel and Gaza following the October 7 Hamas’ attacks and Israel’s subsequent mass bombings of the Gaza strip, the Indonesian public and government have overwhelmingly condemned Israel’s actions.
The Indonesian government is considering extending visa-free entry to visitors from 20 countries in a bid to amplify tourist arrivals and foster economic growth through tourism.
