Letters | Can the US pursue a values-based foreign policy with Indonesia’s new president?

Readers discuss what the Indonesian election outcome means for the US and China, and why art is dying

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Indonesian Defence Minister and presidential frontrunner Prabowo Subianto greets supporters after visiting his father’s grave in Jakarta on February 15. Photo: AP

Published: 11:30am, 2 Mar 2024

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Prabowo Subianto’s apparent win in Indonesia’s presidential election was helped by the popularity of outgoing leader Joko Widodo, whose son Gibran Rakabuming Raka is Prabowo’s running mate, even though there was a backlash against Widodo’s perceived lack of neutrality.

But from hereon, it will be for Prabowo to carve out his own legacy, despite his pledge to retain Widodo’s policies, including the construction of a new capital city, Nusantara.

Many of Prabowo’s campaign pledges concern the economy, welfare and other issues that strategically resonate with the electorate. On top of announcing a 8 per cent growth target, Prabowo has plans to promote biofuels for energy self-sufficiency, open up new land for agriculture, and build a modern hospital in every municipality.

Prabowo’s priorities also include a 460 trillion rupiah (US$29 billion) free lunch and milk programme for schools. Incidentally, the new capital being constructed is also expected to cost about 460 trillion rupiah.

Thus, concerns about fiscal discipline and risk are high, given that the country is already exposed to Chinese debt.

The former general is also widely expected to bolster Indonesia’s defence capabilities, but without being caught up in the rivalry between the United States and China.