Indonesia: A New President

Prabow Subianto Inauguration

President Prabowo Subianto was sworn in as president of Indonesia. Prabowo takes office after a decade of rapid economic growth, which saw the country’s GDP per capita (on a Purchasing Power Parity, PPP basis ) increase by 62%, to almost $17,000. He was elected on a populist economic message, focusing on boosting Indonesia’s pace of economic growth and expanding social spending. Prabowo is also seeking to shift from former President Widodo’s low key international posture to a more activist one.

Prabowo has also indicated that he wants to to leverage Indonesia’s position as the most populous Moslem country, its close ties to both Western countries as well as China, and its abundant commodities and minerals base (especially nickel deposits, a key element in the global energy transition, as the basis to boost the country’s international profile. These factor would allow it to play a more central geopolitical role while maintaining its historical non-aligned posture.