Just a few years ago, Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s elevation to the country’s highest office seemed unimaginable. A disgraced former general and longtime politician, Prabowo had already run for president and lost several times before. His strongman style was reminiscent of the Suharto era, a period still feared by many Indonesians, and his highly checkered human rights record from that time, which allegedly included an attempted coup, seemed to further reduce his chances.
Yet, despite all his political baggage, Prabowo will assume office on Oct. 20, taking charge of the most powerful country in Southeast Asia and one that is increasingly wielding influence on the global stage. Unlike outgoing President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, Prabowo plans to make foreign policy a centerpiece of his presidency, along with a renewed focus on investment and social welfare. At the same time, it seems likely that he will work with Jokowi, a onetime reformer who now disdains the rule of law much like Prabowo himself has over the course of his career, to further undermine rights and democratic institutions in Indonesia.
How did Prabowo and Indonesia arrive at this juncture? Having lost the last two elections to Jokowi, the ever-pragmatic Prabowo apparently decided that the only way to finally win was to align himself with the immensely popular president and his political movement. As a result, just a short time after Prabowo’s supporters rioted following his loss to Jokowi in the 2019 presidential contest, the two men aligned their political parties in parliament, as part of a broader move that saw Jokowi bring several other parties under his governing coalition’s umbrella.