Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s newly inaugurated president, has quickly shifted the tone of leadership in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. In contrast to his predecessor, the soft-spoken and pragmatic Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, Prabowo’s leadership style is emerging as more assertive and combative. The former general, who spent decades in Indonesia’s military, used his first speech as president to rail against corruption and poverty, echoing his past as an ex-special forces commando unafraid of conflict. Prabowo’s ambitious vision for Indonesia—set against a backdrop of economic challenges and a turbulent global landscape—promises significant change in a country with a population of over 280 million.
Prabowo Subianto’s political career has been marked by evolution. During the 2024 presidential campaign, he cast himself in the image of a kindly grandfather, pledging to provide free meals to schoolchildren as part of a larger social welfare agenda. This softer persona helped endear him to voters, especially as the country faces lingering poverty and income inequality. Yet, as he steps into the presidency, Prabowo’s leadership reveals a sharper edge.
In his inaugural speech on Sunday, Prabowo evoked nationalistic fervor, leading lawmakers in parliament to chant “merdeka” (independence), a term loaded with historical significance in Indonesia’s fight against colonialism. “Those who do not shout merdeka are not patriotic,” he declared, sending a clear message that he demands loyalty and discipline within his administration.
While his predecessor Jokowi was known for consensus-building and a technocratic approach, Prabowo’s early actions suggest that he is ready to lead with a firmer hand, particularly in tackling long-standing issues such as corruption and governance. His military background and decisive rhetoric are likely to shape a presidency focused on controlling dissent and pushing through an ambitious domestic agenda.
One of Prabowo’s key promises is to boost Indonesia’s economic growth to 8% within the next two to three years, a lofty target given the nation’s complex economic landscape. Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, is struggling with slow growth in its manufacturing sector, persistent poverty, and deep-seated corruption—issues that Prabowo has promised to address head-on.
Prabowo’s approach to the economy will require significant reforms across multiple sectors. His focus is on revitalizing manufacturing, curbing corruption, and raising incomes, all while navigating global economic uncertainties and domestic resistance. “He is clearly learning from the early years of Jokowi’s first term when he did not get much done as he was a ‘minority’ president,” said Douglas Ramage, managing director at BowerGroupAsia Indonesia. According to Ramage, Prabowo’s leadership style emphasizes political inclusivity at this stage, but it remains to be seen how he will respond to opposition.
Prabowo’s presidency has sparked optimism in financial markets, with investors encouraged by a sense of continuity. On Monday, the Indonesian rupiah edged 0.2% higher to 15,435 per dollar, continuing its upward trend for the fourth consecutive day. The benchmark stock index also extended gains for the seventh day, marking the longest winning streak in more than two years.
Prabowo has maintained stability in his cabinet by appointing several ministers from Jokowi’s administration, signaling to investors that he intends to build on previous economic policies rather than overhaul them entirely. This stability has contributed to the market’s positive reaction, but the real test of his leadership will come when he begins implementing his ambitious economic agenda.
One of Prabowo’s most audacious political moves is his quest to secure full control of parliament, a feat that has eluded Indonesian presidents since the fall of Suharto, Prabowo’s former father-in-law and Indonesia’s last authoritarian leader. The missing piece in Prabowo’s power puzzle is support from the largest party in parliament, which is led by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Megawati, a key figure in Indonesian politics and daughter of Indonesia’s founding president Sukarno, did not attend Prabowo’s inauguration due to illness. She has yet to meet with the new president, although her daughter, Puan Maharani, was reelected as the powerful speaker of parliament with backing from Prabowo’s allies. While Megawati’s absence has raised eyebrows, Prabowo’s strong position in parliament gives him the ability to push through legislation even without her public support.
Despite his majority, Prabowo faces the challenge of managing popular opposition to his policies. This is particularly important given his controversial past, including allegations of human rights abuses during his military career in the Suharto regime. Prabowo has consistently denied these allegations, but his authoritarian reputation may heighten tensions if his policies are met with resistance from civil society or political opponents.
Corruption remains one of Indonesia’s most persistent challenges, and Prabowo has made it clear that tackling graft will be a priority during his presidency. He acknowledged in his inauguration speech that corruption is widespread among businessmen, politicians, and within local and central governments, and that it continues to keep millions of Indonesians in poverty. Currently, about 9% of the population lives below the poverty line, despite Indonesia’s status as a middle-income country.
During Jokowi’s tenure, Indonesia’s corruption record worsened, with the country falling to 115th place out of 180 in Transparency International’s corruption perception index. Critics attribute this slide to Jokowi’s controversial decision to place the anti-corruption watchdog, the KPK, under executive control, effectively weakening its independence. For Prabowo, restoring public confidence in the fight against corruption will require empowering the KPK once again and ensuring that it can operate without political interference.
On the foreign policy front, Prabowo has emphasized continuity, pledging to maintain Indonesia’s non-aligned position and continue its tradition of “friends with all” diplomacy. His inauguration was attended by prominent international figures, including U.S. representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield and China’s Vice-President Han Zheng, reflecting Indonesia’s strategic importance on the global stage.
Prabowo’s diplomatic skills are expected to play a key role in his foreign policy agenda. Fluent in several languages, including French and German, Prabowo is more comfortable on the world stage than his predecessor and is expected to leverage his international connections. He will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Peru next month, followed by the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Brazil, where he is likely to push for greater foreign investment while balancing relations with China and the U.S.
While strengthening ties with Beijing is expected to be a priority, Prabowo will also maintain Indonesia’s security alliance with Washington. The balancing act between two global superpowers will be a crucial aspect of Prabowo’s foreign policy strategy. He also reiterated Indonesia’s long-standing support for Palestine’s struggle for independence, reinforcing the country’s commitment to anti-oppression principles.
One of Prabowo’s signature domestic initiatives is to reduce Indonesia’s reliance on food imports, especially as global tensions and climate uncertainties threaten the stability of food supplies. His ambitious plan to provide free meals to schoolchildren, which is set to begin next year, will require billions of dollars worth of food, and Indonesia remains a major importer of staples such as sugar, rice, and beef.
To achieve food self-sufficiency within four to five years, Prabowo has allocated an $8 billion food security budget for 2025. This includes plans to build storage facilities and expand rice fields to boost domestic production. Prabowo has also created a new coordinating ministry for food affairs, led by Zulkifli Hasan, a former trade minister, to spearhead this initiative.
However, economists have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of achieving food self-sufficiency in such a short timeframe. Farmland in Indonesia is shrinking, and fewer Indonesians are willing to work in agriculture. These challenges, coupled with the country’s reliance on imports, suggest that Prabowo’s vision may be difficult to realize without significant policy shifts and investments in agricultural technology.
Prabowo has also promised to extend Indonesia’s downstreaming policy—leveraging the country’s abundant natural resources to fuel industrial growth—beyond nickel, which has been a cornerstone of the nation’s economic strategy in recent years. Prabowo wants to expand this policy to include other commodities such as palm oil and sugar, aiming to create more jobs and boost economic self-reliance.
Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, a former diplomat, has been appointed as the new investment and downstreaming minister to lead this agenda. There is speculation that Prabowo’s brother and close adviser, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, may also play a role in advancing the downstreaming strategy behind the scenes. However, experts caution that extending downstreaming to all commodities will be a complex task, particularly for those where Indonesia is less dominant on the global stage compared to nickel.
