Former General Prabowo Subianto was appointed as the eighth President of Indonesia on October 20, 2024, after winning the February election by a landslide and signaling a major change in the leadership of the world’s fourth most populous country.
In his first year in office, Subianto made the second most diplomatic trips in Indonesian presidential history.
After returning from the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this month, he said Indonesia was willing to offer at least 20,000 troops to help ensure peace in Gaza.
President Subianto said, “We have sent aid, we have sent ships and we have flown Hercules aircraft several times.” “We have also delivered substantial food aid, thousands of tons of rice. And we are strongly committed to this action.”
When US President Donald Trump proposed a 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s White House visit in September, Indonesia – along with several other Muslim-majority countries – issued a 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza. statement Support for Trump’s plan.
Call for peace in the Middle East
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, has no diplomatic relations with Israel and is a staunch supporter of Palestinian statehood.
In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 23 September, which strongly condemned Israel for its continued attacks on the Gaza Strip, Subianto called for an independent Palestinian state, saying, “We must also recognize and guarantee Israel’s safety and security.”
“Only then can we have real peace,” he said, “peace without hatred, peace without suspicion.”
Trump praised Subianto on several occasions, calling him “an extraordinary individual from Indonesia” during the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, and saying that Indonesia is a “big, powerful country whose efforts are extraordinary.” Subianto said Trump’s peace plan is “a promising step toward achieving peace.”
Strengthening Indonesia’s ties with Europe
When he took office, Subianto said he would increase Indonesia’s economic growth rate from 5.05% to 8%.
To this end, Subianto was able to conclude the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) after more than nine years of negotiations.
IEU-CEPA is considered a major milestone in opening up new markets and promoting foreign investment in Indonesia.
The deal would eliminate most tariffs on EU exports, including car parts, agriculture and pharmaceuticals, while opening up investment in sectors such as electric vehicles.
Deva Gede Sidan Raiskisa, a foreign direct investment (FDI) researcher at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, described the deal as a positive sign.
However, Sidan cautioned that agreements like IEU-CEPA do not automatically guarantee better welfare for the Indonesian population.
“Relying only on exports and imports is not enough,” he said. “We really need foreign direct investment that is really productive.”
Sidan said it is important that investment does not leave the local workforce behind.
“If our workforce lacks the necessary skills, or if regulations fail to include local small and medium enterprises, investment inequality could increase,” he said. “It’s a double-edged sword.”
According to Sidan, economic diplomacy has created many opportunities for Indonesia.
However, without policies that ensure equitable distribution of its benefits, he warned, it risks deepening divisions between central and regional sectors and between large industries and small-scale workers.
Subianto’s diplomatic ‘FOMO’
Subianto has made more diplomatic trips in his first year than any previous Indonesian president.
Radityo Dharmaputra, a foreign policy analyst at Indonesia’s Airlang University, described Subianto’s approach as “FOMO diplomacy”, referring to a style of engagement driven by fear of missing out on major global gatherings rather than a measured long-term strategy.
“So far it’s been very personal,” Radityo said, adding that everything depends on the president’s preferences.
“The Foreign Ministry, which should lead the matter, often has to clarify the president’s statements to avoid misinterpretation on the international stage,” Radityo said.
Radityo recalled Subianto’s speech at the UN General Assembly, during which he announced new national targets under the Paris Agreement and called for global action on climate change.
However, he said ministries have not yet prepared concrete follow-up measures.
He said, “At the time, European diplomats asked whether Indonesia was really committed. I was there, and the relevant ministries could not yet explain the implications. That is where our diplomatic difference lies.”
Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Hawass Oegroseno rejected criticism from experts who argue that Subianto’s diplomatic approach is highly individualistic and lacks coordination with the Foreign Ministry.
“There is no such thing as a lack of coordination,” he told DW.
“Each President’s speech is prepared by a team of speechwriters with the Ministry of External Affairs. This is standard practice,” he said.
Hawass believes that during the first year of his presidency, Subianto’s administration has aligned with Indonesia’s foreign policy principles: sovereignty, active engagement, and public benefit.
“In fact, it reaffirms Indonesia’s legitimacy as the world’s largest Muslim-majority democracy,” Hawass said.
“We must be present, because in diplomacy, being present is already half the victory.”
This article is from Bahasa Indonesia