Prabowo Subianto sworn in as Indonesia’s eighth president
Indonesia's new President Prabowo Subianto is sworn in during his presidential inauguration at the House of Representatives building in Jakarta, Indonesia on Oct. 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Prabowo Subianto has been sworn in as Indonesia’s eighth president, marking the beginning of his leadership in the world’s third-largest democracy.
The 73-year-old former defense minister and special forces commander won the February 14 election with almost 60% of the vote, succeeding Joko Widodo who served two five-year terms.
Subianto’s presidency is expected to face significant challenges. Indonesia’s middle class has declined from 57.3 million in 2019 to 47.8 million this year, with more people now classified as “aspiring middle class”. This shift indicates a decrease in purchasing power across Indonesia.
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Subianto has vowed to prioritize the needs of all Indonesians, eradicate corruption, and achieve food and energy security in his first presidential speech. However, analysts express concerns about the country’s democratic backsliding under Widodo’s presidency, marked by a rise in patronage and dynasty politics.
Constitutional law expert Bivitri Susanti notes, “Our democracy has seriously declined… we are not doing alright at all. There are many democratic institutions that were quashed during Jokowi’s presidency.”
Additionally, Indonesia’s economy faces challenges. Bhima Yudhistira, director of Jakarta-based think tank the Center of Economic and Law Studies, states, “There is a purchasing power problem we are facing and there’s the raising of the big question about the structure of the Indonesian economy right now, as the industry is slowing down and (there are) a lot of layoffs in the manufacturing sector.”
Islam is the largest religion in Indonesia, with 87.06% of the Indonesian population identifying themselves as Muslims, based on civil registry data in 2023.
