Indonesia’s New President: What Political Changes Can We Expect from Prabowo?

The 20th of October marks an important political transition for Indonesia, as a day that will welcome a new president in office. In the run up to the changeover, attention is turning to President-elect Prabowo Subianto as he prepares for his five year term. The current President, Joko Widodo, will end his term after 10 years in his role leading Southeast Asia’s largest economy. 

On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the General Election Commission (KPU) declared that the pair Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka were the winners of the 2024 presidential election.

Who is Prabowo?

Prabowo Subianto is a well-known figure in Indonesian politics, with a military background which saw him rise to the position of Lieutenant General before starting his political career. The 72 year old previously spent long stints living abroad in a multitude of countries, from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the UK to Switzerland. In the Indonesian elections this February, he secured a clear victory against candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo. Prabowo managed to get 96.2 million votes, substantially more than his competition Anies Baswedan, who came in second with 40.97 million votes.

Prabowo’s running mate, Gibran Rakabuming, is the eldest son of current President Joko Widodo. Widodo served the maximum 2 terms in office, and Prabowo has pledged to continue some of the plans made by the incumbent president after he leaves his position. Currently, Prabowo’s party has 52% of parliamentary seats in Indonesia’s lower house, with the initial win of 43% of seats being brought up to 52% by creating a coalition with the NasDem party. 

During his time in office, Joko Widodo made plans to move the capital from Jakarta to a new capital city - Nusantara in Borneo. Once fully constructed, Nusantara will be a green city where a small percentage of land will be used for buildings, with huge swathes being reserved for forested areas, agriculture and parks. Prabowo has committed to ongoing development in Nusantara, hoping that the city will be ‘functionally running’ in the next four or five years. The development of a new capital will solve the issues of overcrowding and larger environmental concerns in Jakarta, which is said to be sinking. 

The reason for choosing "Nusantara" as the new capital's name is because Nusantara has been known since ancient times and is iconic on the international stage. Nusantara also represents the diversity of the Indonesian nation.

Foreign Policy: 

Prabowo’s presidential term is also likely to have a significant focus on foreign policy and improving Indonesia’s renown on the world stage. Following the election results in February, he has made a significant effort to meet leaders from Singapore, China, Japan, Russia and Australia. His aims are to enhance Indonesia’s economic standing worldwide, attract foreign investment and strengthen trade relationships, as well as continuing Indonesia’s long-standing principle of ‘bebas aktif.’ However, it seems that he will have to navigate complex relations between South East Asian countries with differing interests, as well as maintaining partnerships with Europe and elsewhere. 

Prabowo and incumbent President Jokowi as the handover window approaches.

Domestic Policy:

On the home front, improved living standards for Indonesian citizens are key to Prabowo's policy. His focus will be on improving the economy of Indonesia by 8%, as well as trying to eliminate extreme poverty in the next couple of years. Furthermore, he plans to raise the salaries of civil servants, police officers and those in the military. 

Looking Ahead: 

As Indonesia enters a new era under Prabowo's leadership, there is keen interest in how he will balance the country's domestic priorities with its role in regional and global affairs. His presidency offers potential for Indonesia to further develop its position on the world stage, building on the diplomatic successes of recent years, as well as improving the lives of Indonesian citizens across the archipelago.

Written by Team Bali Solve